Colombian Armed Groups Seek Drone Warfare Skills in Ukraine

Colombian illegal armed groups are seeking to acquire expertise in modern drone warfare from the war in Ukraine. The Financial Times reported that there have been repeated attempts to send fighters there to learn new techniques and use them against the Colombian military after returning home.

A representative of Ukraine’s Foreign Recruiting Center said men with ties to organized crime had been identified among Colombian volunteers and sent home.

Colombia’s Defense Ministry estimates that illegal groups launched 264 drone attacks in 2024 and 2025, mostly using inexpensive commercial drones modified to drop explosives. The groups are also seeking expertise in FPV drones and technology capable of bypassing signal jamming.

The Colombian government has tightened restrictions on drone imports and in January announced plans for a $1.6bn “anti-drone shield”.

Elizabeth Dickinson of the International Crisis Group, an organization that analyzes conflicts and works to prevent them, said the armed forces had lost their monopoly on airspace, describing it as a major strategic shift.

(lud)