Ukraine's foreign intelligence stated that Russia continues to systematically recruit foreign citizens for the war against Ukraine and identified Cuba as one of the "main sources" of recruitment, alongside post-Soviet countries and those in the so-called "Global South."
According to declared by the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service, Oleg Ivashchenko, in just December, intelligence services identified more than 150 foreigners from 25 countries who had allegedly been recruited by the Russian army.
He also stated that another 200 would be preparing to join the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
The head of the Ukrainian service stated that the main motivation for these recruits would be economic, along with the simplification of obtaining citizenship and the possibility of amnesty for convicted individuals.
He also stated that Moscow “deliberately exploits” the economic instability of poor countries and the limited avenues for legal migration, turning these factors into "a means of control and pressure."
Ivashchenko added that the participation of foreigners would also have a political and propaganda background: according to his account, Russia seeks to present the war as a conflict that transcends a bilateral confrontation, and uses the presence of citizens from China, Cuba, or African countries as supposed “support from the non-Western world”.
The same statement mentions that the South African government is in conversations with Russia regarding the return of 17 men who are fighting on the Russian side in Ukraine. It also notes that South African police previously arrested four men who were allegedly heading to Russia, suspected of violating local laws on assistance to foreign armed forces.
Cuban Mercenaries in the War in Russia
Cuba is among the leading countries that provides the largest number of mercenaries to the Russian military in the invasion of Ukraine.
Among the main contributors to the war against Ukraine are Uzbekistan (2,715), Tajikistan (1,599), Kazakhstan (1,190), Belarus (1,338), and Cuba (1,028), reported the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD).
However, the country that contributes the most is North Korea, with around 12,000 recruits.
In total, about 18,000 foreigners from 128 countries have participated in the invasion since 2022 as part of the Russian forces, lured by deception, coercion, or promises of financial compensation, the source claims.
They also warn that international recruitment is part of a systematic practice involving state actors and private military companies.
Between 1,000 and 25,000 Cubans have been sent to Russia to fight in Ukraine.
Recently, it emerged that Ukrainian authorities have identified the bodies of 39 deceased Cubans and state that they are willing to continue working to ascertain the identity of more compatriots and notify their families "what has happened to these men," as explained by Deputy Maryan Zablotskiy, president of the Pro-Free Cuba Committee of the Ukrainian Parliament, at a press conference in Miami.
Zablotskiy detailed that, in addition to the 39 identified, there are "hundreds of dead Cubans" whose identities have yet to be determined.
He indicated that Ukraine is holding four Cuban prisoners, whom he assures are being treated humanely, and proposed two possible ways to resolve their situation: to exchange them for Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia or to consider their release on humanitarian grounds if the Cuban government simultaneously frees a group of political prisoners on the Island.
The deputy also emphasized that, since the beginning of the invasion, Russia has not requested foreign fighters in exchanges, only Russian citizens, which leaves mercenaries from other countries in a more vulnerable position.
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