Colombian gangs infiltrate Ukraine to gain drone warfare expertise

Illegal armed groups in Colombia are attempting to covertly infiltrate their members into the Ukrainian military to gain experience in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, according to a report by the Financial Times.

A Colombian aid worker stationed in Ukraine told the newspaper: “The ranking and organisational charts are extremely complex. But what worries me most is the level of expertise they are acquiring. Former militants, former guerrillas, and former soldiers are fighting together here and learning to operate and manage drones.”

The report emphasized that unmanned aerial vehicles have reshaped the dynamics of the decades-long conflict involving the Colombian government, insurgents, and drug traffickers.

Bogota’s previously held aerial superiority has now come to an end, the report noted.

Colombian Defence Minister Air Brigadier General Pedro Sanchez said in an interview with the newspaper: “The drone industry is evolving rapidly, and criminals have adapted this technology to conduct attacks. This poses a serious test for our aerial superiority on the battlefield.”

According to data from the Colombian Ministry of Defence, criminal organisations carried out 264 attacks using cheap, explosive-laden drones between 2024 and 2025.

Minister Sanchez stated that the Colombian military neutralized 96% of such attacks last year by jamming radio frequencies or destroying the drones.

However, armed groups are reportedly seeking to leverage Kiev’s expertise in order to evade military defences.

A Colombian soldier operating drones in the Ukrainian conflict stated that cartel recruiters are actively seeking first-person view (FPV) drone specialists.

The soldier said: “First-person view drones have begun to be used in Colombia, but they do not yet know over there how to encrypt communication between the drone and the pilot or how to attach explosives as is done here in Ukraine.”

Armed groups are also attempting to bypass military electronic warfare systems by purchasing drones equipped with extremely thin fibre-optic cables. In response, the Colombian government is applying strict restrictions on the import of all unmanned aerial vehicles.

In January, the Bogota administration also announced a plan to establish a $1.6 billion “drone defence shield”.

Approximately 450,000 people, mostly civilians, have died in internal armed conflicts in Colombia since the 1960s. The government initially fought against insurgents before powerful drug cartels emerged in the 1980s.

Last year, The Wall Street Journal reported that Colombia had become a key recruitment hub for entities enlisting fighters not only for Ukraine, but also for conflicts in the Middle East and African nations.

The Economist magazine subsequently reported that individuals were drawn into these operations by high salaries and employment opportunities.

In October 2025, Colombian President Gustavo Petro called on Colombians fighting in Ukraine to return home.

Petro said: “Ukrainians treat Colombians as an inferior race. I call on Colombian mercenaries, who are directed by Miami-based companies and used as bait, to return home immediately.”

Petro later announced that 7,000 Colombians had participated in the conflict in Ukraine.

Emphasising that mercenary activity is illegal, Petro stated: “Seven thousand Colombians with military training are involved in a foreign war in Ukraine and are losing their lives for no reason.”