Ukraine Intelligence: Over 20,000 Cubans Recruited by Russia as Mercenaries
Ukrainian Intelligence has informed the US Congress that Russia has recruited at least 20,000 Cubans to participate in the war against Ukraine as mercenaries.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to Business Insider.
According to Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR), Cuba is currently the main supplier of foreign fighters to Russia.
Yusov noted that at least 1,038 Cubans signed contracts to participate in the war between June 2023 and February 2024.
The average age of these mercenaries is 35, and the average salary is about $2,000 per month.
"This is the age where people should be building families and working hard, but unfortunately, they choose to go for war," he said.
The HUR also noted that at least 250 Cuban fighters remained on the front lines after their contracts expired, while the average lifespan of a foreign mercenary on the front lines for Russia is 140–150 days.
Andriy Yusov emphasized that this practice is economically and politically beneficial for the Kremlin.
"It is beneficial for Putin's regime to attract Cuban mercenaries," he said. "So if a foreigner dies, there are no social payouts and no responsibility. There are no relatives inside Russia who are unhappy with the war."
During the briefing, Ukrainian MP Marian Zablotskyy showed documents that give an idea of the situation with Cuban mercenaries. The records presented confirm that one local recruiter helped recruit between 6,000 and 7,000 Cubans.
Zablotskyy emphasized that even data from one confirmed recruiter indicates the scale of Cuban citizens' participation in Russian military operations.
"You can even see just from one confirmed recruiter how many in thousands they are promising to Russia, in terms of mercenaries," he said.
Read more on The Gaze: Latin America and the War in Ukraine: Allies, Neutrals, and Supporters of Moscow