A colombian man, Óscar Mauricio Blanco López, has been sentenced to 19 years in a Russian court after being convicted of “mercenary activity” while fighting alongside Ukrainian forces. The case, announced Wednesday, is the latest in a series of trials of foreign nationals by Russian courts in territory occupied by Russia, raising concerns about due process and the definition of mercenary involvement in the ongoing conflict. Russian authorities claim Blanco López confessed to fighting with the intent to harm Russian soldiers, while reports indicate he cited financial hardship as a motivating factor for joining the Ukrainian military.
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A Colombian man has been sentenced to 19 years in prison by a Russian court for fighting with Ukrainian forces, the latest in a series of cases targeting foreign nationals.
Colombian Óscar Mauricio Blanco López convicted of mercenary activity in Russia. Photo: AFP
Updated:
A court in Russian-held territory in Ukraine sentenced Óscar Mauricio Blanco López to 19 years in prison on Wednesday for “mercenary activity” after fighting on the Ukrainian side for financial compensation and attempting to kill five Russian soldiers. According to the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office, Blanco was captured in the Donetsk region in December 2024.
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Combatants of the 422nd Battalion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, many of whom are foreigners. Photo:Getty
The Donetsk Supreme Court, located in the eastern Ukrainian city now under Russian control, found Blanco López guilty of participating “as a mercenary in an armed conflict,” the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office said in a statement.
According to the statement, the 42-year-old man signed a contract with the Ukrainian army in May 2024 to participate in “fighting against the Russian armed forces,” and was captured in the Donetsk region in December 2024.
Blanco López, according to Russian sources, fully admitted his guilt and stated that he decided to become a mercenary due to financial difficulties he was experiencing in Colombia. He will serve his sentence in a maximum-security prison.
Russia consistently considers foreigners fighting with the Ukrainian army as “mercenaries,” a crime punishable under its legislation.
Since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine in 2022, several foreigners have been tried by courts located in occupied Ukrainian territories.
A group of uniformed men, many with patches identifying them as Colombian, in Ukraine. Photo:EFE
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In December, a British national and a Czech citizen were already sentenced to 13 years in prison, and in November, two other Colombians also received 13-year sentences.
In October 2024, a 70-year-old American citizen had received a sentence of 6 years and 10 months.
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