The story of 32-year-old Fabián Coy contains a paradox. And it's not like he spent almost 22 months fighting to defend Ukraine as a Colombian. He emigrated to Spain in 2021 because he wanted to “change society”. A soldier by profession, with experience as an escort in transport companies, the day came when he somehow got fed up with his country. “In Spain,” he says in an old bunker converted into a restaurant in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, “I felt peace for the first time.” Coy, born near Villavicencio in the Colombian department of Meta, speaks of security and violence streets. “The value of life changes everything,” he continues, “if you lose it, it is difficult to get it back.” Here lies the paradox: he is aware that the value of his life is also different; that death surrounds him. “Yes, I know,” he admits, “but I wanted to add one plus one in Ukraine, to do my part, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to save the country alone.” He reacted to the three days after Russia’s invasion Call from Volodymyr Zelensky by foreigners. When Coy arrived at the front, he thought he would last three months. He was wrong.
A few meters from the border control next to the Polish town of Przemysl, already on Ukrainian territory, one of the first cabins is in sight: the one for recruiting foreigners. Since Zelensky opened his ranks on February 27, 2022 to “friends of peace and democracy” who wanted to fight, foreigners from half the world have signed up. The number of these brigade members is confidential for security reasons, but Kiev has reported that men from around 55 countries have joined the force, with a particular weight of Americans, British, Canadians and Poles, but also Portuguese, Norwegians, Finns, Croatians, Australians , New Zealanders, Taiwanese, Mexicans, Brazilians, Japanese, Spanish and Colombians. Salaries vary depending on the time spent and the work performed, but are around 2,500 euros per month.
The mystery of these soldiers' origins is often revealed when they lie dead. But sometimes not even that. Last Thursday, Moscow recalled the French ambassador for consultations after reports that he had killed several French people. Paris denied this. And this is not surprising, because even Coy himself died once, as Russian military blogs report. With first and last name. Needless to say, it wasn't true. The Kremlin called these Frenchmen “mercenaries.” Coy makes the difference between those who fight without caring about the side, money or the mercenary, and those who, like him, defend a cause with their experience in battle. He insists that he is entitled to “freedom.”
“Come tomorrow”
“I remember my grandmother saying to me right after the Russian attack: 'You're going to go to this war, aren't you?'” At the time, this Colombian was still living in Madrid, working as best he could – home delivery person, salesman on a street Food fair, painter… – and was preparing to one day join the Spanish army, namely his grandmother, at least this one. That day the elder denied him. The truth is that since childhood he generally wanted to go to war. Everything happened very quickly, especially with Ukraine. Coy keeps the message with which he told the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid on February 27 that he wanted to fight. “Come tomorrow,” they said to him. Within days, he joined a humanitarian convoy and headed off to fight. “I told myself that I came to Europe to live here,” he explains, “and I had to defend it because after Ukraine others would come.”
Selfie photo of Fabián Coy with some of his comrades from his unit in the International Legion in Eastern Ukraine, in a provided image.
Join EL PAÍS to follow all the news and read without restrictions.
Subscribe to
Coy's life has too much to offer for his 32 years. He was born in an extremely disadvantaged and humble place. His father died of a health problem 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, he joined the army and fought against the FARC for three years, patrolling the jungle. He left because he didn't believe in the way things were done. After he had raised some money, he wanted to travel to Iraq in uniform, but his girlfriend at the time became pregnant and had a daughter, about whom Coy only has fair words. Life changed and he started working as an escort for 500 euros a month, a salary that was enough to live on but not enough to keep him. Three years ago, a cousin from Madrid called him and encouraged him to emigrate.
The website of the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine, the official name of this foreign association, lays out four steps for recruitment: fill out a form, scan the passport, collect documents proving military experience and send everything to an address. We are looking for candidates between the ages of 18 and 60; no history or chronic illnesses; in shape. If they know how to fight, even better, although it's not strictly necessary. On November 30, the Legion uploaded this message to social networks: “You can apply now [enviar una solicitud] Since I only speak Spanish, it is not necessary to speak English and/or Ukrainian.” When asked about it, Coy admits that in his company, Bravo, unless recommended, one had to have a good knowledge of English, and that he has too.
The International Legion and other units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine now accept Spanish-speaking military personnel.
From now on you can only apply in Spanish, it is not necessary to speak English and/or Ukrainian.
— International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine (@Int_Legion_UA) November 30, 2023
Foreign recruits continue to arrive at the front, including many Spanish speakers. For young South Americans with combat experience, it can be an opportunity to make money. After decades of conflict with the FARC, Colombia also has a populous army and many men who, thanks to American training, have extensive experience in guerrilla warfare and the fight against drug trafficking.
Coy is alive, but he can't say the same for many of his comrades. He jumps from one mission to the next in his story; From his first training in the west of the country to the bombing of the Yavoriv base, which he narrowly escaped – “no foreigner died, as Russia said,” he claims; from the successful counteroffensive on Kharkiv, in which he took part and of which he keeps many videos, to the battle on the banks of the Siversky Donets River in the Donbass region. He remembers, among others, his partner Eric, one of the company's leaders; a brave fighter who seemed invincible. The operation was difficult that day. “I called my family and told them to pray for me because I might not come back,” Coy says. “When we arrived at the disembarkation point, we heard on the radio that Eric had fallen through a mine.” The bomb did not end his life, but a guided missile that hit him directly during the evacuation did.
way back
Not everything on the front is hand-to-hand combat. There are phases of training, of preparing for an attack; There are many companies following each other in the same fight. And there are breaks too. In one of them, Coy took a break in the city of Kharkiv. One of the company vehicles took him into town and he began walking the streets looking for a hotel. Many were closed or damaged by bombing. Finally he found one open and went there. During these days he began to get to know Caterina, one of the receptionists. “I saw she was pretty and we started talking and then hanging out…” Within a year they had married. “Perhaps that has changed in Ukraine too,” Coy reflects, “people live day by day.”
But he continued with his Bravo comrades and fought every battle. That is until last October. Losses like Eric's or those of many Brazilians in his unit led him to a very simple conclusion: “Continuing there,” he says, “guaranteed me only one thing: death.” If you listen to Coy's testimony, a valuable piece of war history , one might ask why he didn't die. Sometimes it was coincidence. “On many occasions,” he says, trying to find an answer, “the one who changed my position because he had more energy was the one who ended up dying.”
“What do you think could be behind something like this?”
“God, I am a very religious person. Plus experience and a little luck.
Last week, Coy began the journey back to Spain with Caterina, who was one week pregnant. They want to start a new life on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. He's fine. He physically has a problem with his hearing due to the artillery noise; but he is in shape. Also psychologically, because he is satisfied with what he has done. “I'm worried about my friends at the front,” he admits, showing a touch of moderation, “but I'm better prepared for what's coming.” What I've seen is very strong and I want to rest. “I don’t see myself fighting anymore, I’ve escaped death a lot.”
Fabián Coy (right) posed with one of his comrades from his International Legion unit in eastern Ukraine in a picture provided.
Follow all international information on Facebook and Xor in our weekly newsletter.
Subscribe to continue reading
Read without limits
_