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At least 1,076 Cuban citizens are fighting or have fought so far in the ranks of the Russian Army in the war that began on February 24, 2022, by President Vladimir Putin, according to figures published by the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine (GUR) to the media Kyiv Independent.
According to the data reported by the agency EFE, 96 of those Cuban soldiers have died in combat or remain missing.
The report adds that many of these Cubans arrived in Russia attracted by job offers in construction posted on social media, managed by private intermediaries who then connect them with the Russian army.
The entity also detailed that when they arrive in Moscow, recruits undergo just two weeks of training before being sent to the front, primarily in motorized infantry roles and assault units.
The regime in Havana has repeatedly denied any connection to recruitment, despite documented cases showing legal departures from Cuban airports.
The new figure provided by Ukrainian intelligence adds to the dossier leaked last May by the "I Want to Live" project, which revealed a list of 1,028 Cuban citizens recruited by Russia to participate in the invasion of Ukraine.
That leak exposed a systematic pattern of deception, poverty, and possible state complicity in the process of sending fighters from the Island.
According to that research, many young people were lured in with fake contracts, promises of citizenship, and salaries of up to $2,500 per month, although once they arrived in Russian territory, they were directly sent to combat zones.
The lack of an official response from Havana and the detention of recruiters without transparent trials have fueled suspicions of recruitment that is either sanctioned or tolerated by the regime.
Ukrainian authorities have reported that the recruited Cubans are being used as "cannon fodder" in high-risk operations, with mass casualties in the so-called "meat storms" organized by Russian forces.
Most of them come from precarious environments and may have been deceived about the true destination of their journey.
Meanwhile, humanitarian organizations and independent media have urged Cuba to investigate the cases and demand the return of its citizens, although no measures have been announced to date.
Ukrainian intelligence warns that recruitment remains active and that Moscow continues to seek new foreign fighters to sustain its offensive in the eastern part of the country.
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