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Information is being spread online claiming that over 500 Colombian militants have already been eliminated in Ukraine. This is reported in Western social media. The posts refer to an Irish journalist, Chay Bowes.
This is a fake. Chay Bowes is a pro-Russian propagandist, not an independent Western journalist. According to the latest available information, losses among Colombian volunteers are around 80 killed. 
Screenshot of the post
Reliable Western media have not published data about more than 500 killed volunteers from Colombia, and Chay Bowes is not a credible source of information.
Chay Bowes is a journalist from Ireland and a correspondent for the Russian TV network RT who actively promotes pro-Russian narratives. He systematically spreads fakes about Ukraine, such as the claim that in 2014, Ukraine allegedly started the war by attacking Russian speakers, and that Ukrainians are Nazis controlled by the West. Bowes justifies Russian aggression, calls the conflict in Ukraine a “civil war,” and shifts responsibility for the violence onto NATO. The blogger is active on social media, where he tries in every possible way to undermine Western public trust in Ukraine. He often publishes materials on pro-Russian platforms and gives interviews to propagandist podcasts. He resides in Moscow.
Colombian volunteers are fighting in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Currently, at least 2,000 fighters are serving, and according to some reports, up to 7,000 in total have passed through the Defense Forces — their contract conditions allow them to resign and return home. This makes Colombians one of the largest foreign contingents in the Ukrainian army. Many of them already have combat experience, and the war in Ukraine provides an opportunity for them to apply their skills after completing their service in Colombia. Many fight for the idea of supporting a country that has suffered aggression, but also — among other reasons — for financial compensation (the salary in the combat zone is several times higher than military pensions in Colombia).
According to the latest available information, as of October 2024, losses among Colombian volunteers amount to about 80 killed.
Although citizens of other states indeed fight in Ukraine, they are not mercenaries, as Chay Bowes claims. Such fighters are part of the International Legion or other units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces on a contractual basis. Therefore, under international law, they are considered service members who serve in the armed forces of the state in a legal capacity. Mercenaries, on the other hand, are not service members of official armed forces and participate in wars to obtain personal, most often material, gain.
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