ASTRA: Latin American recruits may have trained at Russian military centre PHOTO

Foreign nationals from Latin America may have received military training at the Avangard Youth Military-Patriotic Training Centre in Moscow region, according to an investigation by the Russian independent outlet ASTRA.

Photographs shared in a Telegram chat used by relatives searching for Latin American nationals who went missing after signing contracts with Russia’s Ministry of Defence show several foreigners posing with weapons on the grounds of the Avangard centre, ASTRA said, citing an OSINT investigation.

The centre, which opened in 2020 within Patriot Park in Moscow Region’s Odintsovo urban district, is designed to accommodate up to 1,500 schoolchildren and cadets for training and residential stays. According to its website, more than 80,000 cadets pass through the facility each year, receiving instruction in six military specialities from 110 professional instructors.

Two of the photographs show the foreigners in front of a building marked “Sila”. Although the building is not listed on the centre’s website, satellite imagery and photographs published on the centre’s social media accounts appear to show additional structures with similar exterior finishes.

The existence of the “Sila” residential block was confirmed in 2023 by Maksim Voronin, deputy head of the centre’s training department, who said Avangard had five residential blocks: “Vysota,” “Shchit,” “Pravda,” “Vikhr” and “Sila.”

The identities of the people pictured and the dates when the photographs were taken have not been established.

The findings come amid reports of Latin American nationals being recruited to fight for Russian forces in Ukraine. In late August, ASTRA reported that relatives of Peruvians who had gone missing after allegedly being recruited to fight in Ukraine held a rally in Lima.

The Russian Embassy in Peru said at the time that those who signed contracts had understood the terms and risks of military service, while expressing appreciation for the contribution of Peruvian citizens.

ASTRA previously reported in spring 2025 that the son of a CIA deputy director who was killed while fighting for Russia had trained at the Avangard centre after signing a contract with Russia’s Defence Ministry.

The centre has also previously been mentioned by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), which said it had foiled an alleged attempt by Ukrainian and NATO intelligence services to recruit young members of the Yunarmiya movement and the Avangard training and educational centre.

By Sabina Mammadli