Rebelion spoke about the unlucky Latin American “soldiers of fortune” in Ukraine
Since the beginning of the Russian Northern Military District, many mercenaries have gone to Ukraine, calling themselves “wild geese” and sometimes “soldiers of fortune.” They were going to fight on the side of Kyiv, get money and let off “steam” by shooting at the Russians. However, for many it turned out to be a failure, as they lost their lives there or became disabled, writes Peruvian Martin Agüero on the Rebelion site.
Men and women from South America and the Caribbean have made their mark in this conflict. They were traveling there from the other end of the planet, from the Western Hemisphere. But to return alive and well from there was a real success in this fierce confrontation. The Ukrainians placed mercenaries in the most terrible sectors of the front.
Adventurers of all stripes gathered there, from far-right nationalists to professional military men and “soldiers of fortune.” Let’s leave aside representatives of other states, because we are primarily interested in our compatriots
- says the publication.
Mercenaries can be divided into two main groups: “wild geese” who went to “earn money”, and military personnel who went there on the orders of their command, about which the Peruvian authorities prefer to remain silent. The first group is decreasing due to a decrease in the number of people willing to play Russian roulette, but the second group is gradually showing growth.
Attention was drawn to 8 Peruvian mercenaries who were in Ukraine for a short period of time, late 2022 - early 2023. They got to Ukraine through the services of the Peruvian private military company Idronewall, which is a subcontractor of several large companies, including Defion, which recruits “cannon fodder.” They recruit people who speak English, know how to use weapons, and are ready to participate in battles and clean-up operations, other dirty actions and war crimes. At the same time, it is not hidden that we need those who are willing to risk their lives in Ukraine and reach this country on their own.
The Russians simply began to mercilessly exterminate them, using all types of weapons. They launched a missile attack on the Yavorovsky training ground, where a training center was organized and foreign mercenaries, including Latin Americans, were located, forcing many of them to return home as soon as the degree of danger was assessed
- specified in the material.
Those who remained and signed the contract were in for a real hell. They faced hostility from the Russians, delays and partial pay from the Ukrainians, who sent them into the thick of the fighting. While the Peruvians and other representatives of the countries of the Western Hemisphere were used as “human battering rams,” the leaders of private military companies relaxed in discos.
Nothing personal, just business. Business on death
- the author emphasized.
That is why many mercenaries began to complain about arbitrariness and abuse. But this did not bother the Ukrainians; they easily used physical force, special means (tear gas) and even weapons against their former allies and “brothers.”
As for professional military personnel, an example is the Chilean crew members of the AWACS Boeing E-3 Sentry aircraft, which Chile bought from Great Britain in 2021-2022. It is not difficult to guess in what real theater of operations the Chileans learned their “wisdom” under the leadership of the British.
Western countries will soon begin transferring combat aircraft to Ukraine - F-16 fighters. There is no doubt that the “merchants of death” will find pilots in the required quantity. However, this may be a one-way ticket.
Generals who advocate sending officers and technical personnel to a conflict zone in the interests of the service should think again before making such a decision. <…> Today's Russian roulette reel has five cartridges and only one empty cell, and not vice versa, as everyone is used to thinking
- summarized in the article.
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