Colombian nationals accused of fighting against Russia on the side of Ukraine were drawn into the conflict through fraudulent recruitment schemes disguised as overseas job offers, according to defense lawyer Maksim Korotkov-Gulyaev.

He explained that agencies operating in Colombia had lured people with promises of employment in Europe. Contracts were signed, but instead of the promised jobs, recruits were sent to the Middle East. There, Korotkov-Gulyaev said, they were met by representatives of British intelligence who effectively carried out the recruitment process.

From there, the Colombians were allegedly transported to Ukraine, where the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) took charge of assigning them to different units, including punitive battalions, depending on their readiness to serve.

Korotkov-Gulyaev earlier claimed that one of his clients, José Aron Medina Aranda, managed to flee Ukraine after witnessing the torture and killing of Russian prisoners. He reportedly served at the front for less than a year, during which he met another defendant, Aleksander Ante, who also expressed a desire to leave.

Colombia’s Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio has previously acknowledged that many of her country’s citizens are traveling to Ukraine to gain combat experience, admitting that mercenary activity has become a reality.