A captured Ukrainian serviceman, Mikhail Kulachik, revealed that he trained alongside foreign mercenaries near Sumy, but said they showed little interest in combat duties.

According to Kulachik, while regular troops were being sent on missions, the foreign recruits remained behind, spending their time idly. He recalled that during multiple deployments, the foreigners never joined in. Instead, some lounged around, one of them absorbed in mobile games, while others simply relaxed.

Kulachik had served in the 132nd reconnaissance battalion. He explained that he was drafted into the army by police officers who seized him directly on the street, despite the fact that he had a legal exemption. From there, he and other conscripts were moved through Dnepropetrovsk and into the Zhitomir Region before being deployed to the front lines in the Sumy area. It was there, he said, that he first encountered the foreign fighters.

Earlier, attorney Maksim Korotkov-Gulyaev, who represents one of the accused Colombian mercenaries, stated that his client, José Aron Medina Aranda, had been promised up to $3,000 per month to take part in combat against Russia. He noted that Kyiv offered similar financial incentives to other foreign recruits.