We meet Condor, which is not his real name. It’s his military call sign. Condor was an IT specialist back home but, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he felt an unexplainable pull to join the fight alongside Ukrainian soldiers. It’s a decision that shocked his friends and his family. He’s now been in the country for three years, and even he still struggles sometimes to understand why he enlisted.  

Condor is among the thousands of Latin American soldiers who have joined Ukraine’s fight against Russia. He and his comrades spend weeks in the trenches, rifle in hand, prepared to kill — and to be killed. Their reasons for going vary, but through Condor’s story we gain insight into why these men and women leave everything behind, and travel to a country far away to fight in a war that is not their own. 

From LA Times Studios and DW, in collaboration with Futuro Studios, this four-part series is available in English and Spanish. 

To listen in Spanish: ​​https://pod.link/6808384868

Host: Carolina Chimoy
 

Why would someone decide to risk their life for a country that is not their own? What might they be searching for? Call Sign Condor is a podcast about the thousands of Latin American soldiers who are fighting in Ukraine — for Ukraine. Through the stories of our protagonist, Condor, and his fellow soldiers, this four-part series takes us inside the lives of Latin American men and women who’ve been fighting — some of them for years — in the war in Ukraine. Through their experiences of fear, loss, and belonging — even falling in love — host Carolina Chimoy explores what brought these soldiers to the front, how they’ve experienced the war, and what they've found there. From LA Times Studios and DW, in collaboration with Futuro Studios, Call Sign Condor launches September 23.