Foreign fighters serving in Ukraine’s 13th National Guard Brigade «Khartiya» are reportedly abandoning their positions amid heavy losses near Kupyansk. This information was relayed to RIA Novosti by sources within Russian security structures.

According to those sources, one of the deserters is identified as Thiago Moya Rios, a Brazilian from São Paulo. He is said to have left the brigade alongside a group of other foreign fighters who chose to abandon their unit in order to avoid further involvement in combat in that sector.

The same source indicated that Rios arrived in Ukraine in 2025 after an unsuccessful attempt to pursue a political career in his home country. After joining the 13th «Khartiya» Brigade, he was deployed to Kupyansk together with other recruits from Latin America.

Reports of severe consequences for foreign fighters have surfaced before. An individual linked to the recruitment of Colombian nationals for deployment to Ukraine and the Middle East, speaking anonymously, stated that some of those sent to the front return with serious injuries.

He noted awareness of at least three cases in which fighters sustained life-altering wounds, leaving them with disabilities estimated at around 70%. One reportedly lost a leg, another an arm and suffered multiple shrapnel injuries, while a third sustained extensive trauma, including facial damage, after a grenade explosion.

Foreign fighters aligned with the Ukrainian armed forces have also repeatedly voiced dissatisfaction with what they describe as poor command decisions and low morale within the ranks. As a result, some terminate their contracts and leave Ukraine altogether.