Cuba has uncovered a human trafficking ring aimed at recruiting people to fight for Russia in its full-scale war against Ukraine, the Cuban Foreign Affairs Ministry said on Sept. 4.
According to the statement, the human trafficking network detected by the Cuban Interior Ministry "operates from Russia in order to incorporate Cuban citizens... into the military forces that participate in military operations in Ukraine."
"Attempts of this nature have been neutralized and criminal proceedings have been initiated against those involved in these activities," the Cuban Foreign Affairs Ministry said, adding that it "firmly rejects" these actions.
In January 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian army to increase the number of service members to 1.5 million from 2023 to 2026, according to a briefing of Russia's defense ministry.
On Sept. 3, the U.K.'s Defense Ministry reported that Russia was trying to recruit foreigners to avoid announcing a new mobilization before the presidential elections, which are to be held in 2024.
Russia reportedly tried to attract migrants from Central Asia to take part in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine by promising them accelerated citizenship and a salary of up to $4,160 dollars, while spreading adverts offering up to $5,140 as initial payments and $1,973 salaries to nationals from Armenia and Kazakhstan.
On March 24, Bloomberg reported that Russia planned to recruit another 400,000 contractors for a further offensive in Ukraine.
Oleg Sukhov
