Cuba’s Interior Ministry announced on September 7 that it had arrested 17 people for allegedly being involved in a network that lured young Cubans to fight in Ukraine. The ringleader relied on two people living in Cuba to lure Cuban citizens to Ukraine, according to an Interior Ministry official.
The move came after the Cuban Foreign Ministry said on September 4 that the country was working to neutralize and dismantle "a human trafficking ring operating in Russia, specializing in luring Cuban citizens living here and in Cuba to join military groups operating in Ukraine."
Cuban officials have vowed to take decisive action "against those involved in any form of human trafficking aimed at recruiting Cuban citizens as mercenaries".
The Moscow Times newspaper said it had found several groups on social media recruiting Cuban men to fight in Ukraine.
In a Facebook group called Cubanos en Moscú (Cubans in Moscow), most of the posts were created by a woman named Elena Shuvalova, advertising military contracts in Russia.
Shuvalova said Cuban citizens can sign a one-year contract with the Russian military, which will earn them about $2,100 a month. Participants can also receive Russian citizenship for themselves and their families.
Posts on the group Cubanos en Moscú note that even Cubans with expired or lost passports can sign up to serve, simply providing a photo and an invitation to enter.
Shuvalova confirmed in an interview with the Moscow Times that she can help foreigners in Russia, including undocumented immigrants, sign contracts with the military.
“If you don’t have a passport but you have a photo, everything will go smoothly. But even if you don’t have a photo, we can still sign a contract,” she said, adding that she had helped some Cubans go to the war zone in Ukraine.
"They earn a pretty good income. Everyone wants to rent a luxury apartment right away. But if necessary, in the first few weeks before they get their salary, we can help move their family somewhere and provide for them," Shuvalova said.
When asked if she was from the Russian Ministry of Defense , the woman refused to answer.
A member of the group Cubanos en Moscú, who posted photos in Russian military uniform, said Shuvalova was his contact for going to fight in Ukraine.
“Salary is paid daily with no commission and the company will take care of visa issues,” the person wrote.
Shuvalova also shared ads recruiting foreigners on Russia's VKontakte social network.
Shuvalova's profile on the platform includes multiple photos of the Z symbol, indicating that she is a supporter of Russia's campaign in Ukraine. Other groups she has registered with say she lives in the Ryazan region of central Russia.
In May, a news agency in the Ryazan region published photos of Cubans who had gone to fight in Ukraine. The men expressed hope of obtaining Russian citizenship.
Two Cuban men, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were interested in serving in the Russian military but were waiting to hear back from recruiters. "I know they pay very well and it's a great way to make a lot of money fast," one said.
"They pay a lot of money and I need the money. Maybe I will stay in Russia in the future," the other added.
A Spanish interpreter who works closely with the Cuban community in Russia confirmed that the military does recruit men from the Latin American country.
"A lot of young people from Cuba came straight here to make money. They didn't stay in Moscow, they signed contracts right away and then went off to fight," the interpreter said, adding that many were later lost contact. "Maybe they died."
In the fall of 2022, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree reducing the minimum term of contract service for foreigners from five years to one year. Foreigners who have signed contracts to serve with the Russian Ministry of Defense will be granted citizenship in a fast-track process.
According to British intelligence, Russia has recently stepped up efforts to recruit citizens of neighboring countries to fight in Ukraine.
In late June, online advertisements appeared in Armenia and Kazakhstan offering to join the Russian military, with “volunteers” promised to receive more than $5,000 immediately and a monthly salary of about $1,950, analysts said.
A senior Russian military officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he was shocked by the number of foreign volunteer battalions fighting in Ukraine.
"There are Cubans, Serbs. They speak Russian very badly and that's not the only problem. We don't know how to work with them," the officer said. "And they are not from private military companies. They are all contracted by the Ministry of Defense."
Meanwhile, Cuba's Foreign Ministry affirmed that the country "is not part of the conflict in Ukraine" and will act decisively to "fight those involved in any form of human trafficking aimed at recruiting Cuban citizens as mercenaries".
Suspects arrested by Cuban authorities could face 30 years in prison, life in prison or the death penalty depending on the severity of their crimes, which range from human trafficking, mercenary work and hostile acts against another country.
Vu Hoang (According to Moscow Times )
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