In July 2025, the Russian -language segment of social networks spread a picture of the Latin American participating in the war in Ukraine. We checked the authenticity of this photo.
In the screenshot of a picture allegedly published on Instagram, a man in military uniform is captured. Two stripes are visible on his shoulder: on one - the flag of Colombia, on the other - the inscription “Ladgar -old Povin” (“Firefighting detachment” - Ukr.) And the coat of arms of Ukraine.
The photograph received the main distribution in Telegram, where it was published, in particular, channels Voblya (121,000 views at the time of writing this analysis), "Sheikh Tamir"(111 000),"Alexander Semchenko"(78 000),"Voenondo"(46,000) and"Countess with a changed face pond"(31 000).
Citizens of Colombia They come Volunteers to participate in hostilities on the side of Ukraine since at least 2023. In July 2025, the commander of the 47th separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Hamlet Avagyan He saidthat the number of Colombian fighters in his unit is approaching 2000 people. The participation of immigrants from Colombia and other Latin American countries regularly attracts the attention of pro -Kremlin publications, which, including fakes on this subject, have previously denied fakes. some Similar statements.
During the war, Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused each other of using the so -called barrage detachments. In post -Soviet countries, this term is known primarily by the events of the Great Patriotic War. Then, according to Directive The rates of the Supreme Commander -in -Chief of September 12, 1941, each rifle division formed a unit, which included the opposition of the flight of military personnel from the battlefield, if necessary with the use of weapons. Information about the detachments shooting deserters regularly appeared in 2022–2025: part of the messages relied on the data Intelligence, part - for the stories of Ukrainian and Russian prisoners. Nevertheless, both parties officially do not recognize the existence of such units, and the use of the appropriate stripes (incorrect called chevrons) in such circumstances looks at least strange.
In the upper part of the viral photograph, you can see the user of the user Instagram, who allegedly published it, Fabianmendezbarros. The user with such a name and avatar exists, but at the time of writing the analysis of his account was Closed.
At the same time, the appearance of the owner of the profile and a person from a viral photograph is noticeably different.
Pictures of the Colombian named Edison Fabian Mende Barros, as well as links to his pages on social networks at the end of June 2025 laid out a pro-Russian telegram channel Trackanazimercwho specializes in the deanonymization of foreigners fighting on the APU side. Judging by numerous photographs and videos, a native of Colombia with this name and call sign of Dante really fought in the ranks of the Ukrainian army as part of the 47th brigade mentioned above.
However, in military photographs of Mendes Barros are completely different stripes. In particular, no inscriptions “Ladgovalovyvy Povin” are visible in the pictures.
A photograph, almost identical to the viral, can be found in the publication of the pro-Russian Telegram channel "The whisper of the front»Dated April 10, 2024. Only some facial features (in particular, the color of the eyes) and strip are distinguished - the Ukrainian flag instead of Colombian and the patch “For Ukrainian Torn”, and not the “Ladger Povin”.
How found out The factor from the Ukrainian Stopfake project, the original photo shows a native of the Zhytomyr region Vladimir Tkachenko, lost April 6, 2024 in the Donbass. The same photo laid out In one of the memorial posts about him.
The earliest publication with the edited picture, which managed to find "verified", appeared on July 4 at 13:34 Moscow time in the pro-Russian Telegram channel "Shaman Rahu". He repeatedly Facing In the analysis of "tested" as the primary source of misinformation about Ukraine.
Thus, a viral picture, which allegedly captures the Colombian fighting on the side of Ukraine with a sleeve sign of the “Ladgogoval Povin” - this is an edited photo of the deceased Armed Forces fighter with a completely different patch. To give credibility, the resulting picture was designed as a screenshot from the blog of the real native of Colombia, who fought in the ranks of the Ukrainian army.
Photo on the cover: social networks
Read on the topic:
- Is it true that as a result of a restaurant’s strike in Kramatorsk, three mercenaries from Colombia were injured?
- Are the videos that the relatives of Shakira and Pablo Escobar who fought in the Armed Forces of Ukraine died in the Kursk region?
- Is it true that 4781 foreigners who fought on the side of Ukraine died in the Kursk region?
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