Cartel members training on drones in Ukraine a threat to Latin America — Russia’s MFA

MOSCOW, May 14. /TASS/. Latin American drug cartel members are honing their drone operation skills in the Ukraine conflict, posing a serious threat to security across Latin America, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinsky argued. The senior Russian diplomat called fighters from Latin American drug cartels using the Ukraine conflict as a training range to hone the skills of launching unmanned aerial vehicles "yet another concerning trend" that he said is taking place with the acquiescence of the Kiev regime. "According to Western media reports, criminals have been actively joining Ukraine’s international legion to learn how to use attack drones, and the process has been systemic," Lyubinsky said at a roundtable discussing the threat of spreading crime and illegal drugs from Ukraine. This has mostly involved Mexican and Colombian citizens, with Spanish-speaking units, in particular Tactical Group Ethos active in the Donetsk and Kharkov regions, being under special scrutiny, the diplomat shared. "Criminals gaining experience of operating UAVs in real combat poses a serious threat to security of the entire Latin American region for, upon returning to their homeland, criminals use new skills for attacks against enemy groups and officials in their home countries," he explained.