Moscow-backed court jails two Colombians who fought for Ukraine

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Colombian fighters Alexander Ante, 48, and Jose Aron Medina Aranda, 37 were each sentenced to 13 years successful situation for serving with Ukrainian forces.

Published On 7 Nov 2025

A tribunal tally by Moscow-installed authorities successful Ukraine’s occupied Donetsk portion has sentenced 2 Colombian nationals to 13 years successful situation each for warring connected behalf of Kyiv.

The ruling, announced connected Thursday, is the latest successful a bid of lengthy sentences handed to overseas fighters accused by Moscow-backed prosecutors of being “mercenaries”.

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“For participating successful hostilities connected the broadside of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” – Alexander Ante, 48, and Jose Aron Medina Aranda, 37 – “were each sentenced to 13 years successful prison”, the prosecutor’s bureau said connected the Telegram messaging app.

According to reports, the brace fought for Ukraine successful 2023 and 2024 earlier disappearing successful July portion transiting done Venezuela, a adjacent state of Russia, connected their mode location to Colombia aft serving successful the war.

Colombian paper El Tiempo reported successful July 2024 that the men were detained successful the Venezuelan superior Caracas portion inactive wearing Ukrainian subject uniforms.

A period later, Russian authorities said they had taken custody of the two, who some hail from the occidental Colombian metropolis of Popayan.

Footage released by Russia’s FSB information work showed the men handcuffed and dressed successful situation uniforms arsenic masked officers escorted them done a tribunal building.

News of the pair’s sentencing connected Thursday was wide covered successful Colombian media.

“I don’t cognize if we volition spot them again 1 day. That’s the bittersweet reality,” said Medina’s wife, Cielo Paz, successful an interrogation with the AFP quality agency, adding that she had not heard from her hubby since his arrest.

#Colombia 🇨🇴🇷🇺 Alexander Ante y José Medina fueron condenados por participar como "mercenarios" en las hostilidades del lado de las Fuerzas Armadas de Ucrania.

👉Lee la nota completa en: https://t.co/UrlDjv6Tnp pic.twitter.com/1kiEl1rlU2

— RTVC Noticias (@RTVCnoticias) November 6, 2025

Translation: Alexander Ante and Jose Medina were convicted for participating arsenic “mercenaries” successful the hostilities connected the broadside of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In June, Russian authorities quality bureau TASS reported that Pablo Puentes Borges, different Colombian national, was handed a 28-year situation word by a Russian subject tribunal connected charges of coercion and mercenary enactment for warring alongside Ukrainian forces.

Earlier, successful April, Miguel Angel Cardenas Montilla, besides from Colombia, received a nine-year condemnation for warring with Ukrainian forces.

While Russian investigators person labelled foreigners who combat alongside Ukrainian forces arsenic “mercenaries”, the Kyiv Post notes that astir overseas fighters serving successful Ukraine’s equipped forces are formally enlisted and person the aforesaid wage and presumption arsenic Ukrainian soldiers.

That formalisation of their presumption successful the Ukrainian service means they bash not conscionable the ineligible explanation of a mercenary nether planetary law, the media outlet reported.

But Moscow continues to prosecute captured overseas fighters arsenic “mercenaries” – a complaint that carries up to 15 years successful situation – alternatively than recognising them arsenic prisoners of warfare who are protected nether the Geneva Conventions.

Colombia’s authorities says dozens of its citizens person been killed warring successful Ukraine since the warfare began successful February 2022.