Argentine citizen Ibrahim Roberto Yamil, 37, was captured in Ukraine after joining the Russian army through an advertisement he saw on Facebook.
According to the “I Want to Live” project, this is the first known case of an Argentine citizen being taken into Ukrainian captivity.
In April 2026, Yamil saw a Facebook advertisement for a “high-paying job,” clicked on it and submitted an application. He was then added to a WhatsApp chat, where it became clear that residents of Latin America were being recruited to fight on Russia’s side.
At the time, Yamil did not have an international passport, but according to the project, a recruiter arranged his documents, visa and tickets. He flew to Moscow via Rome and Istanbul, arriving on April 11.
In Moscow, a recruiter met him along with several Colombian citizens and took them to a training ground in Russia’s Voronezh region. By May, Yamil had been deployed to the Lyman sector as a private in the 272nd Motor Rifle Regiment.
He was wounded on July 6 and spent about three weeks in hospital. He was then transferred to the 347th Motor Rifle Regiment and was captured in mid-August.
According to “I Want to Live,” Yamil received $10,000 for signing the contract. He is currently being held in a prisoner-of-war camp.
