BUENOS AIRES, October 8. /TASS/. Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated that mercenaries from his country are treated as second-class in Ukraine.

"Colombians are looked down on in Ukraine, as an inferior race. I urge Colombian mercenaries, brought in by Miami-based firms and used as cannon fodder, to return home immediately," Petro wrote on social media platform X.

On October 5, the magazine Semana reported that a group of 40 Colombians serving in the Ukrainian armed forces stated that their agreements had been violated and they were unable to leave the country. The Colombians appealed to President Petro and their Foreign Ministry to intervene and ensure their safety, holding Ukrainian authorities and Vladimir Zelensky personally responsible for the situation.

Semana notes that over 1,000 Colombian citizens may have participated in the Ukrainian conflict. According to the publication, at least 300 of them have been killed, with dozens listed as missing. Colombian authorities have repeatedly emphasized that they do not support their citizens' involvement in foreign armed conflicts and consider such activities illegal.