Cubans continue to arrive in Russia to join its forces to fight against Ukraine despite the Cuban government's attempts to clamp down on recruitment, Bloomberg reported on July 19, citing its undisclosed source.
Russia has been recruiting foreigners from such countries as Nepal, Somalia, India, Cuba, and others to fight in Ukraine from the very beginning of the full-scale invasion.
Russian forces have been trying to boost military enlistment at home and abroad as the need to replenish the troops has become more acute.
Between 462,000 and 728,000 Russian soldiers have been killed, injured, or captured in the invasion of Ukraine by mid-June, The Economist reported in July.
Cuban volunteers join the Russian armed forces through informal channels, and the total number involved in Russia's war in Ukraine is "likely in the low hundreds," the source said.
Generous payments offered by the Russian military are luring Cubans to join the war as the Caribbean country struggles with power outages and food shortages amid an economic crisis that has sparked mass migration and street protests, Bloomberg said.
Some Cubans are also attracted to the possibility of obtaining a Russian passport after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree in January allowing foreigners to become Russian citizens in exchange for military service.
Cuba and Russia, two allies since the start of the Cold War, have reciprocal visa-free travel between the countries, as well as direct flights between Havana and Moscow.
In March, Russia sent crude oil tankers to Cuba to help mitigate the economic downturn, and last month, a group of naval ships docked in Havana for a planned visit.
Nate Ostiller
(Updated: )
