Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 24, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 24, 2026
A Colombian mercenary, Miguel Angel Cardenas Montilla, was sentenced to nine years by a Russian court for fighting with Ukraine against Russia.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian court has sentenced Miguel Angel Cardenas Montilla, a Colombian who fought on the side of Ukraine, to nine years in prison for fighting against Russian forces as a mercenary, Russian investigators said on Thursday.
Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement that Cardenas Montilla, 33, who previously served in the Colombian police, arrived in Ukraine in April 2024 and took part in military operations against Russia after receiving military training.
It said he had admitted his guilt, something Reuters could not independently confirm.
Tens of thousands of Russian troops swept into Ukraine in February 2022 after President Vladimir Putin gave the order to launch what he called a special military operation.
Cardenas Montilla's capture by Russian forces in June 2024 was reported by the Russian Defence Ministry at the time, which said he had joined the Ukrainian armed forces after seeing an advertisment on TikTok.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
The article discusses the sentencing of a Colombian mercenary, Miguel Angel Cardenas Montilla, who fought for Ukraine against Russian forces.
Why was Miguel Angel Cardenas Montilla sentenced? He was sentenced for fighting as a mercenary against Russian forces.
How did Cardenas Montilla join the Ukrainian forces? He joined after seeing an advertisement on TikTok.
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