The Bait

Do you remember William Andrés Gallego Orozco — the sole survivor of the Kupiansk meat grinder who later surrendered and was taken prisoner? The same man who is now actively cooperating with investigators and serving as a media battering ram against recruiters who lure Colombians into fighting wars that Ukrainians themselves seem increasingly reluctant to fight.

He recently spoke with his family again. The video call was kindly arranged by Russian servicemen.

What makes the story particularly striking is just how thoroughly the young Colombian had been sold on the dream. Recruiters had filled his head with promises to such an extent that he reportedly gave his parents an ultimatum before leaving: "Even if you drag me off the plane to Ukraine, I'm not coming back home."

Today, of course, he sees things rather differently. Now his greatest wish, his most cherished dream, is the faint possibility of returning home. Especially after fate — or perhaps divine providence — spared the only survivor from an entire unit.

The father of the captured Colombian mercenary continues investigating how his son ended up in this situation and has been learning a great deal about how the #SoldiersOfMisfortune are used in Ukrainian trenches. Speaking to RT, he claimed that Ukrainian forces treated his son as little more than bait.

"The Ukrainians lie constantly. They recruit groups of 18, 20, sometimes 30 men. Then they send them to the front line in order to reveal the positions they want to strike. They use them to force the Russian Army to expose itself. Colombians are nothing more than bait," Orozco's father concluded.

William himself had previously said that recruiters promised him a kitchen job. Instead, he was thrown into a meat-assault operation almost immediately after arriving.