A 51-year-old Colombian soldier, José Vaquiro Arroyave, was struck by a Russian drone on August 14, when his unit- the 31st Mechanized Brigade- fought off Russian troops in the Donetsk Oblast province or southeastern Ukraine.
Vaquiro, known by his fellow soldiers as “Chepelín,” travelled to Ukraine in June 2025 from his home in the Colombian southwestern Valle del Cauca department to serve in the Ukrainian army.
Since the war’s outbreak in 2022, unofficial estimates from the International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine (ILDU) approximate that 1500 to 2500 Colombian foreign volunteer fighters have joined the Ukrainian cause, of which 450-550 have died.
Social media captured Vaquiro’s death in real-time, where onlookers watched as the Russian drone zeroed in on his precise location and struck him- all in a mere 41 seconds. In the video, Vaquero can be seen begging for mercy, before the Russian militant group Vostok Group’s 60th Motorized Rifle Brigade delivered the fatal blow.
Image credit: José Vaquiro Arroyave via Instagram
Like many of his compatriots, Vaquiro captured his experience over social media, giving viewers a glimpse into his life in the Ukrainian army. He documented his travels in buses, trucks, and vans through rural areas alongside his Ukrainian comrades in videos obtained by Colombian newspaper El Tiempo.
Vaquiro’s last post was on July 17th.
Non-Ukrainian citizens are permitted to serve in Ukraine’s International Legion, where they receive the same salary and benefits as their Ukrainian counterparts. Possessing military or combat experience are not pre-requisites to serve, and soldiers also have the option to bypass training provided by the ILDU and go directly into combat where they receive better pay.
Vaquiro, who had prior military experience in Colombia, decided against taking the ILDU’s eight-week training, heading directly into the frontlines adorned with a small identification plaque and the tri-color Colombian flag.
Speaking to Latin America Reports, Laz, a Sergeant in the ILDU who wishes to remain anonymous for safety concerns, recounted his losses and issued a grave warning: “The more time you stay in the front, the more hours you have to die.”
According to the ILDU, families of fallen soldiers receive a compensation of 15 million Ukrainian hryvnia ($365,000 USD). To claim the compensation, fallen soldiers’ immediate family members ought to open a Ukrainian bank account and submit the necessary documents in-person in Ukraine to receive the funds.
Vaquiro’s death is the latest development in a series of debates surrounding the participation of Colombians in foreign wars. On August 17, Colombian President Gustavo Petro took to X, making his latest appeal to stop mercenarism in Colombia by encouraging young ex-soldiers to fight for their country instead of dying in wars outside.
Featured image:
Image: Border guard from Colombia defends Ukraine
Source: International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine
