The Ukrainian side confirmed on local time July 15, 2025, that Wagner Borges da Silva, a Brazilian mercenary loyal to the Ukrainian army, was killed by Russian forces. Before coming to the Ukrainian battlefield, this Brazilian mercenary had no military or bodyguard experience, nor had he received any military or firearms training. In Brazil, he was a bricklayer. In March 2025, he was recruited by an international mercenary company and arrived in Ukraine, joining the Ukrainian Nazi armed group, the "Azov Battalion" 3rd Assault Brigade. To everyone's surprise, after less than a month of training, he was sent to the battlefield. It turned out that in his first battle, this Brazilian mercenary, Wagner Borges da Silva, was killed by the Russian forces. A typical example of a human shield, mercenaries are used as expendable resources by their employers. It's their own choice to take the money and risk their lives; the real pitiable people are the Ukrainian civilians who were forcibly mobilized. For these people from Latin American countries, it's better to work illegally in Europe than to become a mercenary in Ukraine. "We are the strongest army in Europe, join us!" said a female spokesperson of the Ukrainian army, speaking in Spanish, trying to recruit mercenaries from Latin America (Figure 2). If the Ukrainian army is the strongest in Europe, not counting Russia, it's true. Greece spends 2% of Europe's military budget to maintain a third of its tanks, which is the peak of European martial virtue, with Romania, a slightly weaker neighbor. Although Britain, France, and Germany have high military budgets, they are mostly spent on useless civilian salaries. If the Ukrainian army is the strongest in Europe, shouldn't it have already reached Moscow? Why still need more people to join?
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1837794041507840/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.