Colombian Cartels Seek Drone Expertise in Ukraine
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Colombian Cartels Seek Drone Expertise in Ukraine
- Colombian criminal organizations are reportedly sending individuals to Ukraine, disguised as volunteers, to acquire advanced drone warfare skills.
- Ukrainian defense officials, including Taras Palianytsia from the Foreign Recruiting Centre, have confirmed identifying and screening out individuals with cartel ties.
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Colombian drug cartels and other armed groups are increasingly utilizing drones, transforming the nature of the country’s long-running conflict. The Colombian Ministry of Defense reported 333 “effective” drone attacks in 2025, a significant increase from 61 in 2024. This surge in drone use has led to concerns, as these devices, often commercially modified, are used for surveillance and attacks, sometimes resulting in civilian casualties. In 2024, a 10-year-old boy was killed in the first known weaponized drone attack fatality in Colombia, and in February 2025, a drone dropped an explosive near a Médecins Sans Frontières hospital, injuring health workers.
Reports indicate that Colombian criminal groups have been attempting to send fighters to Ukraine over the past year to gain expertise in drone warfare. Ukrainian counterintelligence services have investigated the infiltration of Latin American cartel members into Ukraine’s International Legion, with operatives seeking training in areas such as drone manufacturing, electronic warfare resistance, and coordinated strike employment. Ukrainian officials acknowledge the risk of their country becoming an “inadvertent dissemination node for asymmetric warfare techniques” as combat training is absorbed by criminal networks.
The cartels are particularly interested in technologies like first-person view (FPV) drones, which are difficult to shoot down due to their maneuverability and explode on impact. They are also seeking knowledge on how to encrypt drone communication and set up explosive charges. While Ukrainian officials are aware of these schemes and have screened out individuals with cartel links, they also commend the effectiveness of Colombian fighters who serve legitimately. Colombia’s military is working to counter the growing drone threat, with the Ministry of Defense launching BANOT, Latin America’s first military battalion dedicated to countering drones, in October 2025.