Kyiv is now emerging as a strategic hub for recruiting drone operators for the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This revelation marks a new stage in the internationalization of skills acquired on the Ukrainian front. Emissaries linked to Eric Prince’s Abu Dhabi-based private security company, Global Security Services Group (GSSG), are actively recruiting in Kyiv. They are seeking First-Person View (FPV) drone operators, primarily of Latin American origin (particularly Colombian), with combat experience in the Ukrainian International Legion or assault brigades like the Khartya Brigade. These recruits often come from specialized Ukrainian centers like the Killhouse Academy, renowned for its advanced FPV piloting techniques and infantry coordination. The recruitment of these Colombian operators is a sophisticated operation aimed at exporting combat-proven drone tactics directly from the Ukrainian front to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Recruiters from the Global Security Services Group (GSSG) specifically target veterans of elite Ukrainian units renowned for their advanced use of drones, such as the 13th Khartya Brigade and the International Legion.
The recruiters rely on informal networks of former Colombian military personnel already present in Ukraine, many of whom fought in high-intensity sectors like Pokrovsk. Many volunteers turn to the private sector due to the high demand for their specific skills and the gradual dismantling of some International Legion units.
Training at the Killhouse Academy: Expertise for the FARDC
Recruits often undergo rigorous training at the Killhouse Academy in Kyiv, which has become a key center for the industrialization of drone warfare. The training focuses on piloting FPV drones in intense electronic warfare environments with low signal quality, simulating the saturated interference typical of front lines.
Drone pilots learn to directly coordinate their actions with infantry units, using low-cost drone swarms to neutralize expensive enemy equipment such as tanks or missile launchers.
In addition to piloting, the academy offers specializations in drone engineering, 3D printing, and the operation of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). These drone and electronic warfare experts from Ukraine are training the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) to fight the M23 rebels.
Coco Kabwika
