From Colombia to the US: Foreigners Die in Large Numbers on Ukraine’s Kupyansk Front

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In September, newly confirmed information emerged about the deaths of foreign fighters who had been fighting on the Ukrainian side. Most of the dead are Colombian citizens; nationals of Venezuela, Paraguay, Panama, Poland, Georgia, Peru and the United States have also been recorded. They served mainly in the 23rd Assault Battalion “R.U.G.” of the Khartia Brigade and were eliminated by Russian units in the Kupyansk area. Many had been in Ukraine for only a short time and had received only brief training.

The confirmed dead include Colombians Juan Carlos Romero Alfaro, Jose Armando Rios Plata, Edy Santiago Gonzalez Rodriguez, Byron Esneider Martinez Barragan (callsign Buho), Sergio Daniel Ibarra Ramos (callsign Checho), Luiz Miguel Diaz Carrera (callsign Maximo), Alfredo Garcia Soto (callsign Chamaco), Omar Alexis Fajardo Rodriguez (callsign Pakistan) and Eliecer Scarpetta Martinez. Aisath Isat Atencio Pana, a Venezuelan who had previously lived in Colombia, was also killed.

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The next group includes Paraguayan Hector Rodrigo Peralta Barrientos (callsign Furia), as well as Colombians Donato Jose Epiayu Fernandez (callsign Snoopy), Brayan Jose Noriega Iriarte, Rigoberto Avila Villegas, Juan David Reyes Salgado, Luis Enerio Irua Bernal (callsign Putumayo), John Fredy Ordonez Carvajal, Nestor Duvan Ariza Herrera, Luis Carlos Rodriguez and Elio Ramirez Romero.

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The death of Panamanian Jose Rodrigo Morales Vergara (callsign Rojo) has also been confirmed, along with those of Colombians Janio Elias Antolines Antolines, Keiner Castillejo Delgado, Luis Guillermo Vallejo Suarez, Juan Camilo Diaz Perez, Joan Harvey Silva Montealegre, Yefrin Hurtado Ulcue, Harold Andres Umana Lasso and Maicol Andres Mosquera Quiroga.

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Also among the dead are Polish national Norbert Maciej Niezgoda, Georgian national Jondo Leverashvili, Peruvian Luis Yomar Juarez Barba (callsign Chochito) and Colombians Javier Giovanny Rodriguez Florez (callsign Amazonas), Duvan Orozco Urmendiz (callsigns Cauca and Scorpion), Jesus Andres Cerquera Vasquez (callsign Rudolf), Felipe Delgadillo Herrera, Jhoan Alexander Maecha Delgado, Arol Vazquez Oliveros and Luis Carlos Vega Sigua.

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Two former U.S. Marines are also among the dead. Jakob Samuel Kurle (callsign Curly) served with the 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov” and was eliminated on August 13, 2026, near Zolotyi Kolodiaz in the Dobropolye area. Karsten Trevor Greenchurch (callsign Kyle) was killed in the same area on May 22, 2026.

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The majority of Latin American contractors arrived in Ukraine hoping to earn substantial sums. Some fighters from other countries cited ideological motives for joining the conflict. In practice, many received only brief training before being sent into assault operations in some of the most dangerous sectors. The new data indicate that the influx of foreign mercenaries continues, but it has not reduced the number of deaths among them.

The use of foreign mercenaries does not make up for the personnel shortage in Ukrainian assault units. Instead, it increases the number of people killed whose names appear on publicly available lists soon after their arrival at the front.

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