Russian Network Sending Mercenaries to Ukraine Found in America's Backyard

Cuban authorities claim to have uncovered a human-trafficking network operating from Russia that seeks to hire Cubans as mercenaries to fight in Ukraine, with the Caribbean nation's foreign ministry saying it intends to dismantle the operation and denying any role as an "accomplice" in Moscow's war.

"Cuba counters human-trafficking operations aimed for military recruitment purposes," a statement posted to the ministry's website on Monday read.

Russian authorities have reportedly been looking abroad for fresh troops in recent months. Moscow is said to be recruiting among central Asian migrants already in Russia, offering high wages and a fast-track to citizenship that may also entice more of their compatriots to migrate.

"The Ministry of the Interior has detected and it is working to neutralize and dismantle a human-trafficking network that operates from Russia in order to incorporate Cuban citizens living there, and even some living in Cuba, into the military forces that participate in military operations in Ukraine," the ministry said.

"Attempts of this nature have been neutralized and criminal proceedings have been initiated against those involved in these activities." Newsweek has contacted the Russian Foreign Ministry by email to request comment.

Cuba-Russian cooperation has traditionally been close, seeking leverage against the U.S. and its Euro-Atlantic allies. Both have been under U.S. sanctions for years and have generally aligned against its foreign policies in the Americas and beyond.

Economic ties between Havana and Moscow have expanded since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and subsequent Western sanctions seeking to isolate the Russian economy.

In June, Cuban Defense Minister Alvaro Lopez traveled to Moscow to discuss joint "technical military" projects with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu.

"History will demand responsibility from the United States for the consequences of its aggressive military doctrine beyond the borders of NATO, which threatens peace, security and international stability," Lopez said in a statement released by the Russian military.

Bilateral ties may remain warm, but the foreign ministry on Monday said any suggestion of Cubans fighting in Ukraine is damaging for Havana's image.

"Cuba's enemies are promoting distorted information that seeks to tarnish the country's image and present it as an accomplice to these actions that we firmly reject," the statement read.

"Cuba has a firm and clear historical position against mercenarism, and it plays an active role in the United Nations in rejection of the aforementioned practice, being the author of several of the initiatives approved in that forum."

"Cuba is not part of the war in Ukraine. It is acting, and it will firmly act, against those who within the national territory participate in any form of human trafficking for mercenarism or recruitment purposes so that Cuban citizens may raise weapons against any country."

Russian forces have been badly mauled in 18 months of combat in Ukraine. Moscow, like Kyiv, does not release casualty figures. U.S. officials told The New York Times in August that Russian casualties were approaching 300,000, including up to 120,000 deaths and 180,000 injured troops. The officials put Ukrainian casualties at up to 70,000 killed and 120,000 wounded.

Moscow's troops have been supported by a wide range of private military companies (PMCs)—mercenaries—including the beleaguered Wagner Group, and there are dozens of PMCs operating in Ukraine. These include groups under the command of state-owned energy giant Gazprom and one affiliated directly with Shoigu.

Though there have been reports of Syrian fighters and North Korean laborers also heading to Russia to assist in the war effort, there is as yet little evidence that they are operating in Ukraine in large numbers.