Up to 5,000 Cubans fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, Reuters reports
Editor's note: This item has been updated to reflect a statement from Cuba's Foreign Ministry made on Oct. 11.
Up to 5,000 Cuban fighters are actively participating in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported Oct. 5, citing an internal U.S. State Department cable seen by the outlet.
"After North Korea, Cuba is the largest contributor of foreign troops to Russia's aggression, with an estimated 1,000 to 5,000 Cubans fighting in Ukraine," the cable said.
The U.S. circulated an unclassified cable, sharing details about Cuba's support for Russia's war in Ukraine, as part of its campaign to counter a United Nations resolution calling for Washington to lift its embargo on the Caribbean nation, which has been in place since 1960.
The Oct. 2 unclassified cable, sent to dozens of U.S. missions, directs diplomats to urge foreign governments to oppose the resolution, which has passed the U.N. General Assembly every year since 1992.
While the U.N. resolution holds symbolic value, only the U.S. Congress can ultimately lift the decades-long embargo.
According to Reuters, the U.S. State Department declined to provide additional details on the Cuban fighters, but said it was aware of reports that they were serving alongside Russian troops.
In response to the reports, Cuba's Foreign Ministry on Oct. 11 denied its involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war, alleging that the U.S. was making "false accusations."
"It is irrefutable that none of them have the encouragement, commitment, or consent of the Cuban State for their actions," a statement from the Foreign Ministry read, denying the country had sent soldiers to participate in the war effort.
Moscow has been recruiting foreign fighters from countries such as Nepal, Somalia, India, and Cuba since the start of its full-scale invasion in 2022. Last year, Bloomberg reported that Russia was offering generous payments and the promise of citizenship to Cuban fighters, despite Havana's attempts to curb recruitment. At the time, the number of Cuban recruits was reported to be in the low hundreds.
That figure has since grown to the thousands, as Ukrainian officials have recently warned U.S. lawmakers about an uptick in Russia's recruitment of Cuban mercenaries.
Cuba and Russia have maintained close ties since the Cold War. Most recently, Cuba joined the Russian-led BRICS group as a partner country in October 2024.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
