Russia Faces Criticism From Closest Ally For Recruiting Young Cubans For War In Ukraine

In a rare condemnation of Russia from one of its closest allies, Cuban officials detained 17 individuals on allegations connected to a human trafficking operation that purportedly enticed young Cuban men to join the Russian military in Ukraine.

What Happened: The announcement was made public on Canal Caribe, the state-run news channel, by César Rodriguez, the chief of Cuba’s criminal investigation department. This follows a recent statement from the Cuban Foreign Ministry about a human trafficking ring in Russia recruiting Cubans for the Ukraine war.

Rodriguez refrained from identifying any individuals implicated in the operation. However, he mentioned that the leader of the group depended on two individuals living in Cuba to enlist Cubans to engage in combat in Ukraine in exchange for compensation on behalf of Russia.

The arrests include one of the key figures in the recruitment network.

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Why It Matters: Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that permitted foreign individuals enlisting in the Russian military to obtain citizenship through an expedited process.

In May, Russian media outlets reported that a number of Cubans had entered into agreements with the Russian military and were dispatched to participate in combat in Ukraine, receiving Russian passports in return.

Cuba, having robust ties with Russia post the 1959 Cuban Revolution, stated explicitly that it rejects its citizens serving as soldiers for Moscow and is not involved in the Ukraine war.

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