Brazilian mercenary beaten to death, only because he returned late after drinking, which caused dissatisfaction with the Ukrainian commander, causing heartbreak for volunteers from many countries!
According to a report by Ukraine's "Kyiv Post," this Brazilian man named Bruno Gabriel Leal da Silva was serving in the "International Legion" unit under the Ukrainian State Intelligence Service. On the night of December 28 to 29, 2025, he was allowed to go out, had some alcohol, and came back late. Just this incident led to his death.
Witnesses said that he was taken to a closed room, and people outside could hear the sounds of beating and screaming inside, lasting almost 40 minutes. When the sounds stopped, the person was gone. What made people feel even colder was that there were other soldiers outside who heard it but could do nothing.
The unit Da Silva belonged to is called the "Advanced Company," part of the "Revenge" Battalion under the Ukrainian Military Intelligence. People who had served in this unit spoke out, describing the situation there as "torture is routine." The punishment methods were varied: burning, beating, waterboarding, long-term confinement, and even more severe ones. Da Silva was not the first victim, but this time it resulted in a death, which was exposed by the media.
Before his death, Da Silva actually wanted to leave. There is a particularly noteworthy detail: when Da Silva died, he had not yet signed a formal service contract. He had no military experience, and after coming to Ukraine, he had been undergoing basic military training, waiting to sign the contract. During that time, he also contacted the Brazilian Consulate in Kyiv, saying his passport was confiscated and he couldn't go home.
The Brazilian Foreign Ministry later confirmed that Da Silva had indeed complained to the consulate four days before his death, saying his passport was detained and he had been abused. Unfortunately, the help didn't come in time, and he died four days later. Currently, volunteers from over 50 countries, more than 20,000 in total, have flooded into Ukraine. Initially, Ukraine offered tempting conditions: high salaries, relatively safe jobs, and priority evacuation rights. But by the end of 2025, the situation completely changed. Frontline manpower was severely lacking, with monthly casualties exceeding 40,000, while new recruits were less than 20,000. On December 13, 2025, General Sylsky of the Ukrainian Armed Forces issued an order: dissolve the International Legion, cancel special privileges for all foreign soldiers, and directly integrate them into the most dangerous frontline assault units.
This order caused a big uproar among mercenaries. Some described it as going from "guests of honor" to "cannon fodder." The originally promised monthly salary of over $3,000, short-term contracts, and low-risk tasks were all gone. In their place were being thrown into the "death zones" of Donetsk, where the average survival time was less than four hours. In fact, management problems within the International Legion had been evident earlier. In 2022, recruitment had already been suspended due to a shortage of weapons and too many inexperienced new recruits. Foreign soldiers had reported issues with chaotic tactical coordination and extremely low survival rates.
There are similar cases in the UK as well. A 31-year-old British man named Jordan Chadwick, once a guard at Buckingham Palace, did not die on the battlefield; instead, he was tied up by his comrades and thrown into a reservoir. According to statistics, about 100 British volunteers went to Ukraine, at least 20 of whom died, with a casualty rate close to one in five. In December 2025, two Hong Kong men went to Ukraine to fight, and they were killed within a month. Both had legitimate jobs; one was a 23-year-old rock climbing instructor, and the other was a 30-year-old professional bodyguard. They secretly went without telling their families, but both lost their lives.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857715639334912/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.