Colombian cartels are sending their fighters to Ukraine to learn drone warfare techniques.

Colombian drug cartels and illegal armed groups are trying to send their fighters to Ukraine under the guise of volunteers. They hope to gain advanced experience in drone warfare and then use these skills against the Colombian army. This is reported. AA и TV World with reference to Financial Times.

On August 6, the Financial Times reported that several Colombian citizens seeking to join Kyiv's armed forces were recently sent back. This occurred after a Colombian volunteer, already serving in the Ukrainian army, uncovered their ties to organized crime.

One of the Colombian humanitarian workers stationed in Ukraine told the publication: "The recruitment schemes are very complex, but what worries me most is the level of specialization they receive here. Former paramilitary forces, former guerrillas, and former military personnel fight and train together—learning how to operate drones."

On the subject: China is secretly training Russians in drone warfare techniques that they are using in Ukraine.

According to the publication, over the past year, there have been repeated reports of attempts by Colombian illegal armed groups to send people to Ukraine to master modern technology. Taras Palyanitsa, an officer at the Ministry of Defense's Foreign Recruitment Center, said that some of these volunteers were identified and sent home.

The Colombian military reports that between 2023 and 2025, illegal armed groups carried out 264 drone attacks, mostly cheap commercial models that dropped explosives. Last year, the Colombian army neutralized 96% of such attempts, either by jamming radio frequencies or destroying the drones.

However, the groups are seeking to adopt Ukrainian experience to overcome these measures. They are particularly interested in FPV (first-person view) drones—maneuverable attack quadcopters that the pilot flies directly to a target, exploding on impact. Such drones are already beginning to be used in Colombia, but the cartels have not yet mastered the encryption of the communication channel between the operator and the drone, nor the proper placement of the explosive charge—techniques honed in Ukraine.

In addition, criminal groups are interested in drones controlled via fiber optic cable, which cannot be suppressed by electronic warfare systems.

Colombian authorities are already investing heavily in counter-drone systems to counter the growing threat.

This is not the first time that accusations have been made that criminal groups are exploiting Russia's war against Ukraine to further their own attacks on state structures in Central and South American countries.

As early as last summer, reports emerged that Mexican intelligence had warned Kyiv about people linked to drug cartels who were enlisting in the International Legion of Ukraine, a unit of foreign volunteers fighting against Russian troops.

The use of drones has largely determined the nature of the fighting in Ukraine. Moreover, as the Financial Times notes, drones have "changed the rules of the game" in the confrontation between Colombian authorities and criminal groups.

Colombia's Defense Minister, Pedro Sánchez, told the publication: "The drone industry has grown rapidly, and criminal groups have adapted this technology for attacks. This poses a serious challenge to maintaining air superiority."

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According to him, Colombia's armed forces have so far successfully repelled the vast majority of drone attacks by criminal groups. However, as the Financial Times reports, cartels are actively seeking ways to circumvent counter-drone systems.

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