Fabian Coy (32) is Colombian. He has spent almost 22 months fighting to protect Ukraine.
He moved to Spain in 2021 because he wanted to change society. A military man by trade and a former security contractor for a shipping company, he was fed up with his homeland and decided to emigrate.
“In Spain,” he explains, in an old underground bunker converted into a restaurant in Kiev. “For the first time, I felt calm.” Coy, who was born near Villavicencio in Colombia’s Meta state, cites the insecurity and violence that occurred on the streets of his hometown. “The value of life changes everything,” he continues. “Once you lose it, it’s hard to get it back.”
There is a contradiction here. Now in a war zone, he realizes the value of his life is precious. For death was all around him. “Yes, I know,” he admits. “But what I wanted to do in Ukraine was to put one plus one and do what I could…I knew I couldn’t save the country by myself,” Koy said in 2022. Just three days after Russia invaded in February, he answered President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s call for foreigners to help Ukraine. When Coy arrived at the front, he thought he would last three months. he was wrong.
A few feet from the border with the Polish town of Przemysl, one of the first booths you’ll see on Ukrainian territory is a booth recruiting foreigners. Foreign nationals from several countries have joined the army since February 27, 2022, when Zelenskyy opened the ranks to “friends of peace and democracy” who wanted to fight. The number of members of these brigades is confidential for security reasons, but Kiev reports that members from around 55 countries are participating, most of them Americans, British, Canadians and Poles. However, there are also fighters from Portugal, Norway, Finland, Croatia, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, Spain, and Colombia. Salary varies depending on hours and services provided, but is approximately 2,500 euros or $2,700 per month.
The origin of these soldiers is often only revealed after they are killed. However, in some cases, death does not mean the information will be made public. Last Thursday, Moscow summoned the French ambassador for consultations after it claimed that Russian soldiers had killed several armed French people in Ukraine. Paris denied this. And it is not surprising, because even Koi himself died once (as reported by a Russian military blog). Needless to say, that wasn’t true.
The Kremlin called these Frenchmen “mercenaries.” Koi distinguishes between those who fight for money without caring which side they are on, and those who, like him, use their combat experience to protect a cause. He argues that the reason for participating is “freedom.”
“Right after the Russians attacked, I remember my grandmother saying to me, “You’re going to go to that war, too, aren’t you?” At the time, the Colombian was still living and working in Madrid. He took any job he could find – delivery boy, house painter, salesman at a food show – and was preparing to one day join the Spanish army. Actually, he wanted to go to war since childhood.
In the case of Ukraine, everything happened very quickly. Coy has saved a message he sent to the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid on February 27, expressing his desire to fight. “Come tomorrow,” they told him. Within days, he joined a convoy and set off for Eastern Europe. “I told myself I came to Europe to live here,” he explains. [wars] come. “
Koi has accomplished a lot in just 32 years. He was born into a very disadvantaged background. His father died from health problems when he was only four years old. And a few years later, his stepfather died at the hands of Colombian guerrillas. When he came of age, Coy joined the army and spent three years fighting the FARC while patrolling the jungle. He left because he couldn’t believe how the operation was working.
Once he had enough money, he wanted to travel to fight in Iraq, but his girlfriend at the time got pregnant and had a daughter. That was Koi’s favorite thing. Her life changed. He started working as a private security contractor, guarding trucks for the equivalent of $500 a month. This salary was enough to live on, but not enough to keep him tied to a job. Three years ago, a cousin called him from Madrid and encouraged him to move.
The website for the International Defense Forces of Ukraine (the official name of this group made up of foreigners) sets out four steps to join: fill out a form, scan your passport, and prove your military experience. Gather your documents and send everything to your address. . We are looking for candidates between the ages of 18 and 60. You must be in good health and have a solid medical history with no chronic illnesses. It’s even better if the recruits already know how to fight… but it’s not necessary.
On November 30th, the International Region uploaded the following message to social media:[We] It is currently accepting Spanish-speaking soldiers.You can apply even if you can’t speak the language. [English] or [Ukrainian]” When asked about this, Mr. Coy admitted that in his unit “Bravo” it is still recommended to arrive with fluent English. And he has it.
Foreign recruits continue to arrive at the front. Many of them are Spanish speakers.
For young Latin Americans with combat experience, it could be an opportunity to make money. After decades of conflict with the FARC, Colombia has a populous army and several soldiers with extensive experience in guerrilla warfare. In addition to their training in the United States, they also have experience fighting drug trafficking.
Carp is alive, but the same cannot be said for many of its fellows. In an interview with ELPAÍS, he bounced around from mission to mission, detailing his first training in the west of his country and the bombing at the Yavorev military base that nearly killed him. “Foreigners have not died as Russia said,” he insists. He recalls the successful counterattack in Kharkov (which he recorded in many videos) and the battle on the banks of the Seversky Donets River in the Donbass region.
He paused and remembered his ex-partner Eric. One of the company leaders, he was a brave warrior who seemed invincible. The surgery that day was difficult. “I called my family and asked them to pray for me because I might not be able to come back,” Coy says quietly. “When we arrived at the disembarkation point, we heard on the radio that Eric had been knocked down by a mine.” He was not killed in the explosion, but was hit by a Russian guided missile during the evacuation.
Not everything is hand-to-hand combat on the front lines. There is a period of time to train for the attack. There are many companies following each other in the same battle. And there are also breaks. On one of those days, Koy went on vacation in the city of Kharkiv. One of the unit’s vehicles took him into the city and he began walking through the streets in search of a hotel. Many were closed or damaged by Russian bombing. At last he found an empty room and secured a room. Around that time, he became close to Katerina, one of his receptionists. “I saw she was cute and we started talking and then we started hanging out…” Within a year they were married. “Maybe something changed in Ukraine,” Coy recalls. “People live day to day.”
However, he continued to fight all battles with his Bravo Squad comrades. That is, until October of last year. The loss of people like Eric, or many of his Brazilian friends in his unit, led him to a very simple conclusion. “If you stay there, the only thing guaranteed is death,” he said with a sigh. Hearing Coy’s testimony, a valuable piece of war history, some may wonder why he was not killed. Sometimes it was pure coincidence. “In many cases, it was the person who ultimately died because they had excess energy or a change of position,” he says, trying to find an answer.
“What do you think could be the thinking behind something like that?”
“God. I’m a very firm believer. Also, experience…and a little bit of luck.”
Last week, Coy began his return trip to Spain with Katerina, who is several weeks pregnant. They want to start a new life on Spain’s Mediterranean coast. He is physically healthy, but his hearing is impaired due to the noise from the cannons. But he keeps his shape. He is happy with what he has done, so he is mentally well.
“I’m worried about my friends on the front lines,” he admitted in a moment of vulnerability. What I saw is so heavy that I want to rest. I don’t feel like I’m fighting anymore. I’ve already cheated death many times. ”
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