First POW From Argentina Captured by Ukrainian Forces

Ibrahim Roberto Yamil, a 37-year-old Argentine father of two, became the first known Argentine citizen taken prisoner of war in Ukraine, according to Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project.

A Facebook Ad in April

Yamil was scrolling Facebook in April 2026 when an ad for a "high-paying job" caught his eye. He clicked it and submitted an application, and was added to a WhatsApp group chat - where it became clear the chat was organizing Latin American men to fight for Russia.

Yamil didn't have a passport, but the recruiter arranged his paperwork, including a visa and plane tickets - he only had to board a flight. Routed through Rome and Istanbul, he landed in Moscow on April 11. A Russian recruiter met him there, along with a group of Colombians who had just arrived on their own flight, and took the men to a training ground in Russia's Voronezh region.

Four Days' Notice, Then the Front

The training Yamil received was minimal. By May he had been deployed to the Lyman direction as a private in the 272nd Motorized Rifle Regiment. He came close to fighting there for only a short time: on July 6 he was wounded and nearly killed, and spent the next three weeks in a hospital.

Still not fully healed, Yamil was then transferred to a "disabled-soldiers' platoon" of the 347th Motorized Rifle Regiment - a unit made up of previously wounded men sent back into combat - and was captured by Ukrainian forces in mid-August.

According to "I Want to Live," foreign recruits in Russia's army are frequently deployed in high-casualty assault operations. Yamil is now held in a prisoner-of-war camp alongside other foreign nationals.

A Safe Way Out

Argentines and other Latin Americans are increasingly being drawn into Russia's armed forces through social media job ads, as Yamil was. Yamil was wounded and sent back to the battlefield with no appropriate recovery and eventually was lucky to save his life - by surrendering to Ukrainian forces. Foreign nationals in Russia's army can take the safe route out with the "I Want to Live" project; also see our FAQ on how to safely surrender to Ukrainian forces.

Source: I Want to Live on X