The Supreme Court of Donetsk, a Russian judicial body located in occupied Ukrainian territory, sentenced a Colombian man to 19 years in prison on Wednesday after he was accused of fighting for the Ukrainian side in exchange for monetary compensation and attempting to assassinate five Russian soldiers. He was found guilty of participating “as a mercenary in an armed conflict” "Armed."

According to a statement from the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, the 42-year-old man, identified as Oscar Mauricio Blanco Lopez, signed a contract with the Ukrainian army in May 2024 to participate in the "fight against the Russian armed forces," and was captured in the Donetsk region in December 2024. He will now serve his sentence in a high-security prison, according to the Russian news agency TASS.

Blanco Lopez, according to Russian sources, fully admitted his guilt and claimed that he decided to become a mercenary due to financial difficulties he was experiencing in Colombia. Last week, another court in Donetsk sentenced British citizen Hayden William Davis to 13 years in prison for “mercenary activity,” and has previously convicted Czechs, Americans, and Britons as well.

“Kidnapped” in Ukraine

Russia systematically considers foreigners fighting with the Ukrainian army as “mercenaries,” a crime punishable under its laws. Back in June, the Russian courts had already sentenced Colombian Pablo Puentes Borges to 28 years in prison for fighting alongside Ukrainian forces deployed in Russia's Kursk region. In early December, Colombian President Gustavo Petro asked his country's intelligence services to contact the Ukrainian government to obtain the "freedom" of Colombian men allegedly "kidnapped" in Ukraine. "These deceived Colombians appear to be kidnapped," said Petro, who ordered that the president of Ukraine be contacted and asked "to release the Colombian fighters so they can return to their homeland."