A Colombian Delivery Rider Surrendered to Ukraine Days After Being Wounded Fighting for Russia

Noticias Caracol's investigative unit interviewed Carlos Andrés Barrios, one of more than 700 Colombians the outlet says have been recruited into Russia's armed forces. Barrios arrived in Russia less than three months before the interview, was wounded fighting on the front line, and surrendered to Ukrainian troops less than a week before it aired. The investigation is available on YouTube:

A Notification While Delivering Food in Bogotá

Barrios told Noticias Caracol he was working as a food delivery rider in Bogotá when the offer reached him online.

"I was basically just watching videos when I saw the notification asking if I wanted to be part of the Russian army. So, normal, I accepted, right? At that time I was working as a delivery rider in Bogotá. I accepted the contract - I accepted it because I wanted to get my family ahead, and everything.

"No, Peace, Peace, Peace"

After being wounded, Barrios described surrendering to Ukrainian soldiers who reached his trench.

"When two Ukrainian soldiers came in, to where I was in the trench, I - I surrendered. I told them, "No, nothing, nothing." I stayed right there. I surrendered, I surrendered. I raised my arm, I gave myself up to them, and I told them, "No, peace, peace, peace.""

Contract, a Few Days of Training, the Front Line

Barrios said he signed his contract directly with the Russian Federation after arriving, then was sent to train for only a few days before deployment.

"After that they take you to the Russian Federation to sign a contract. After you sign the contract, they send you to train."

"It Was Like Hell in That Tunnel"

Barrios said eight Colombians went through training together before being split into two groups; his group of four was sent to hold a tunnel position.

Eight of us Colombians went to the training base, and afterward they split us up - four one way, four the other. Of the four of us who got split off, they sent us to a tunnel. After training, basically, it was like hell in that tunnel. There were dead people, people who passed out and nobody paid any attention - they just let them die. They kept pushing me - "finish, finish" - and wouldn't even give me water, panela, or anything hot to eat.

Families Searching, an Embassy That Denies Responsibility

Noticias Caracol reports that hundreds of Colombian families are searching for news of sons, husbands, and brothers recruited into the war. On Friday, August 14, a group of them gathered outside the Russian embassy in Bogotá demanding answers; the embassy responded by denying any responsibility for the recruitment and referring families to Colombia's foreign ministry instead. In a statement to the outlet, the embassy said it "has never carried out and does not carry out any kind of process related to foreign nationals' military service in the ranks of Russia's armed forces." One relative told Noticias Caracol that no government body - not the foreign ministry, the Ombudsman's Office, nor the Prosecutor's Office - had responded to her: "We don't want any more young people to leave the way it's happening with our children." Colombia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the outlet it has logged 721 consular assitance requests from those recruited by Russia or their families.

Get Out Safely

Colombians and other foreign nationals lured into Russia's armed forces have an option to safely escape the battlefield with Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project. See our FAQ on how to safely surrender to Ukrainian forces or visit hochuzhit.com directly.