A Colombian mercenary has expressed deep regret over his time fighting for Ukraine, stating that the experience nearly cost him his life and could prevent a safe return to his homeland.
William Andres Gallego Orozco, 23, was captured by Russian forces after sustaining severe shrapnel injuries on the front line. Russian troops provided medical treatment and evacuated him from the combat zone.
Orozco revealed that he had been promised approximately $3,200 per month and a role as a cook in the Ukrainian military, but neither the pay nor the assignment matched what he was told.
After receiving only 15 days of basic military training, Orozco was issued a UAR-15 rifle—a Ukrainian-made variant of the AR-15 platform—along with a radio. He was deployed with the Guajiro unit, a Colombian fighter group attached to Ukraine’s National Guard Khartia Brigade.
During combat operations, he witnessed heavy casualties among foreign recruits while Ukrainian military leadership remained absent from the front lines. Orozco condemned this absence as reckless and stated that it has placed foreign fighters in grave danger and jeopardized their ability to return home, where mercenary activity is illegal.