Suffering heavy losses in its nearly four years of war in Ukraine, Russia is increasingly relying on foreign mercenaries, including Cuban nationals to fill the gap in the army.
Thousands of Cuban nationals are being recruited as mercenaries to fight alongside Russian forces since the start of the war in February 2022, the US and Ukraine’s military intelligence suggests. According to Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukrainian intelligence agency, over 20,000 Cubans have already travelled to Russia to take part in the war. “It is beneficial for Putin’s regime to attract Cuban mercenaries. If a foreigner dies, there are no social payouts and no responsibility; there are no relatives inside Russia who are unhappy with the war; and of course, fewer dead Russians,” Andriy Yusov said in evidence shared with members of the U.S. Congress on September 19.
Financial gain remains the primary motivation for Cubans, as the offered monthly salary of $2,000. While some individuals are said to have joined willingly, others allege they were misled - promised construction work in Russia but instead sent to the battlefield. Although the Cuban government officially denies any involvement, experts believe that recruiting on such a large scale likely couldn’t occur without at least implicit approval from authorities.
The presence of Cuban mercenaries within the ranks of the Russian army has raised concerns in Washington. Reuters reported this week that an internal State Department memo has instructed US diplomats at the United Nations to assert that Cuba is actively backing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with over 5,000 Cuban nationals reportedly fighting alongside Russian troops against Ukrainian forces. "After North Korea, Cuba is the largest contributor of foreign troops to Russia's aggression, with an estimated 1,000-5,000 Cubans fighting in Ukraine," the cable said. Representatives of Cuba’s Permanent Mission to the UN have not responded to the claims or addressed the country’s alleged involvement in the Ukraine war on Russia’s side.
By recruiting Cuban nationals, the Kremlin is able to lower the number of Russian casualties and preserve internal political stability. In return, these foreign fighters gain hands-on combat experience and exposure to modern warfare technologies, including drones and electronic warfare systems. Analysts caution that the involvement of Cuban troops not only increases the strain on Ukrainian forces but also raises concerns that combat expertise could later be transferred to other regions, potentially fuelling future conflicts.
According to British intelligence estimates, Russia's losses in the war in Ukraine has exceeded one million casualties, prompting the Kremlin to recruit mercenaries from Africa, Latin America and Asia.
