A Colombian mercenary has spoken of his regret at fighting for Ukraine, stating 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.
He said he had been promised around $3,200 per month and believed he would work as a cook for the Ukrainian military, but neither the pay nor the assignment matched what he had been told.
Orozco 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, he recounted witnessing heavy casualties among foreign recruits while Ukrainian military leadership remained absent from the front lines—a decision that has left these individuals vulnerable and at extreme risk.
Orozco now faces difficulties in returning to his homeland, where mercenary activity is prohibited by law.
