Whale Large Capital
  • Politics
  • World News
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Politics
  • World News
  • Business
  • Investing

Whale Large Capital

World News

They vanished for weeks. Now Russia says it detained two Colombian men on suspicion of fighting for Ukraine

by August 31, 2024
August 31, 2024
They vanished for weeks. Now Russia says it detained two Colombian men on suspicion of fighting for Ukraine

Russian authorities say they have detained two Colombian men suspected of fighting for the Ukrainian military – a shocking twist in the weeks-long case of their disappearance since mid-July.

The last time Cielo Imbachí heard from her husband was more than 40 days ago, while he was on a layover in the Venezuelan capital Caracas. At the time, Jose Aron Medina was on his way back to Colombia after spending around nine months in Ukraine, she says.

He never made it home.

On Friday, Medina and his friend, fellow Colombian Alexander Ante, appeared in a video released by the Russian Federal Security Service, which accused them both of “participating in hostilities on the side of Ukraine against the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation as mercenaries.”

The Colombians were carrying “documents confirming their illegal activities,” said the FSB statement, and clothing with the insignia of the Ukrainian Carpathian Sich battalion.

State TV channel Russia 1 reported that Ante and Medina were in Venezuela when they were detained and extradited to Russia. Their detention in Moscow was ordered by the city’s Lefortovsky District Court on August 28 and they are being held until October 22, the court’s press service told state news agency TASS.

The two men’s detention and apparent extradition highlight the strong economic and military ties Russia has with Venezuela while also serving as a warning to foreign fighters, estimated to number in the thousands, who flocked to help Ukraine in the war effort.

In the meantime, Imbachí says she received no information from any of the countries involved.

“Venezuela just took them and deported them to Russia, and we don’t understand the reason why they were deported,” she said.

‘We are desperate’

Imbachí and Medina, 36, have a nine-year-old daughter and a son from her previous marriage. Both men, Medina and Ante, come from the western Colombian city of Popayán, and they live close to each other, she said.

Imbachí said her husband left for Ukraine last November, joining Ante who was already there. Medina decided to return home this July. She said he flew from Warsaw in Poland to Madrid, Spain, and then onwards to Venezuela. His destination was Popayán.

It remains unclear why the two men traveled through Venezuela, as there are several direct flight options between Spain and Colombia. Traveling through Venezuela is difficult due to sanctions imposed by the United States against the Latin American country.

Imbachí thinks her husband went via Caracas as it was the cheapest option. “Flights from Spain to Colombia are really expensive, while I think Venezuela was cheaper.” She does not know how they were planning to get from Caracas to Popayán.

A missing-person flyer from Colombia’s attorney general, with photos of the two men, said that their last known location was a Venezuelan airport on July 18 where they were seen “wearing camouflaged clothing from the Ukrainian Army.”

Imbachí and Colombian congressman Jose Uscategui went to the Venezuelan embassy in Colombia’s capital Bogota on July 26 to “make a formal request for the safe return of these individuals to their home,” according to a tweet from Uscategui.

Venezuela has grown closer to Russia over the last several years as Nicolas Maduro seeks Russia’s support to shore up his embattled presidency. The two countries have signed several bilateral agreements, including an extradition treaty.

This post appeared first on cnn.com
0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Floods in Yemen kill nearly 100, damage thousands of homes
next post
Critics say CNN’s Bash used ‘kid gloves’ with Harris and Walz, while Vance ‘grilled’

You may also like

After antisemitic violence rocked Amsterdam, Paris braces for...

November 14, 2024

Israel says it is prepared for any retaliatory...

August 24, 2024

Fresh round of US-Iran talks underway in Oman...

May 11, 2025

Meta gets rid of fact checkers and says...

January 7, 2025

Putin makes surprise visit to Kursk as Trump...

March 13, 2025

Malala Yousafzai urges Muslim leaders to back gender...

January 13, 2025

This family spends months at sea exploring the...

December 13, 2024

‘It’s not a game. It’s a war’: Exclusive...

October 16, 2024

Syrian rebels capture second major city as army...

December 5, 2024

Lights out in paradise: Island nation faces energy...

April 3, 2025

    Subscribe today to receive exclusive access to all our retirement secrets and income strategies, including special financial news and updates from our experts. From time to time, our newsletters feature valuable insights and analysis on the latest financial trends. Don't miss out on these exclusive updates – join our subscription to stay informed!


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.



    Latest

    • White House investigating Biden use of autopen in sprawling probe of ‘incompetent and senile’ former president

      July 15, 2025
    • Huckabee demands Israel ‘aggressively investigate’ murder of Palestinian American killed in ‘terrorist act’

      July 15, 2025
    • Senate GOP agree to strip cuts to HIV, AIDs prevention program from Trump’s clawback bill

      July 15, 2025
    • Democrat accuses Trump administration of diverting ‘critical resources’ from fighting organized retail theft

      July 15, 2025
    • Israel slams UN for ignoring aid already in Gaza while demanding more

      July 15, 2025
    • Trump accuses ‘scam artist’ Schiff of lying about Maryland home to commit mortgage fraud

      July 15, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (717)
    • Investing (661)
    • Politics (4,912)
    • World News (3,213)
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact us
    • About us

    Disclaimer: WhaleLargeCapital.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2024 WhaleLargeCapital.com | All Rights Reserved