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Cuba uncovers human trafficking ring for Russian military recruitment

• 2 min read

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.

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The Kyiv Independent news desk

We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.

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The latest announcement comes as Kyiv experienced widespread power outages on Oct. 8 following a Russian attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Over 3 million residents in the capital lost power in what officials described as "an attack on one of the energy facilities important for the city of Kyiv."

The railway operator initially reported that the passenger train's driver suffered a leg injury and four passengers required medical attention. The crew of the electric locomotive was unharmed.

 (Updated:  )

"The government looks forward to the smooth resolution of all pending issues between the two countries and will continue consultations with the Ukrainian side to this end," the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a press release.

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