Colombian soldiers responded to the call made by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and joined the country’s army, reinforcing the list of foreign fighters serving Kiev’s forces.

Checho, a 32-year-old reservist from Medellín hit by kamikaze drones during a rescue operation, had to be treated in hospital. He is among hundreds of Colombian veterans who made the ten thousand kilometer journey to Ukraine.

“We want equality. We want our Ukrainian brothers to have the same freedom that exists in other parts of the world, the freedom that we enjoy in Colombia,” he declared.

Money is another reason why the Colombian military joins the ranks of the Ukrainian army. The base salary for those fighting in Ukraine is 3,300 dollars, around 3,000 euros, and soldiers can receive more than 25,000 euros for injuries.

If they are killed in the theater of war, their families are entitled to financial compensation worth more than 350 thousand euros.

Colombian troops are among the most experienced in the world, due to the experience they have accumulated over decades of fighting against drug cartels and rebel groups.

Retired Colombian military personnel began accepting missions abroad at the beginning of the century to work with the American army to protect oil wells in Iraq.

They have also joined the battle in Yemen against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels