Colombian Cartels Seek Ukrainian Drone Skills, Eroding Bogota’s Air Superiority
Colombian cartels and rebel groups are pursuing Ukrainian battlefield drone expertise, with some Colombians returning from the war allegedly training armed groups in advanced FPV tactics, according to officials. The quiet transfer is making non‑state actors more effective and chipping away at the Colombian military’s long‑held dominance of the sky.
When cartel fighters start flying drones with the sophistication of a war‑zone unit, the balance of power in a country like Colombia begins to tilt in ways that are hard to reverse. Officials now warn that Colombian criminal and insurgent groups are actively seeking Ukrainian drone warfare expertise—and in some cases receiving it from Colombians who fought in Ukraine and have come home with new skills. According to a detailed account attributed to senior Colombian and Western officials, armed groups ranging from drug‑trafficking cartels to left‑wing rebels are looking to copy the frontline tactics that have defined much of the combat in Ukraine. Some Colombians who served there are alleged…
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