The Cuban regime has sent thousands of soldiers to the Russian army to fight in Ukraine and more than 200 have already died on the front lines

On Thursday from Miami, the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance (ARC) and Ukrainian lawmaker Maryan Zablotskyy denounced that the Castro regime is actively collaborating with Russia in the mass deployment of Cuban citizens to the war in Ukraine. According to their figures, at least 20,000 Cubans have been recruited by Moscow, with between 200 and 300 having already died on the battlefield.

From Kiev, Ukrainian People’s Deputy Maryan Zablotskyy spoke virtually, stating that Cuba has the largest foreign contingent in the war after North Korea.

She explained that an estimated 20,000 Cubans, aged between 20 and 60, have been recruited by Russia for military service. “Some die quickly. The death rate in the first year is 10%, and the injury rate is 30%,” warned Zablotskyy, describing the situation as “alarming.”

The Ukrainian stated that “the Russians do not care about human life” and urged Cubans not to fall into these traps.

Thousands of Cubans sent to Russia directly by Havana regime

The information revealed at the press conference is based on data from the Ukrainian Military Intelligence Directorate, which identified over a thousand Cubans officially registered as part of the Russian Army between mid-2023 and early 2024.

The report indicates that 40% of those recruited were sent directly by the Havana regime, leveraging its privileged access to passports. The rest were reportedly lured through deceptive job offers as laborers or security guards, only to end up in the trenches with promises of monthly salaries ranging from $2,000 to $2,500.

Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat, coordinator of the ARC, asserted that the communist regime receives financial incentives for each Cuban recruited into the Russian forces, similar to the payment system used in the so-called “medical missions.” The activist also revealed that they possess evidence, to be made public in the coming days, including allegations concerning the recruitment of Cuban women for the war.

"An act of war against Europe and the free world"

Cuban-American Congresswoman for Florida Maria Elvira Salazar also spoke out on X following the revelation of the news by the ARC.

"I am outraged by the report of the Cuban Resistance Assembly which confirms what we already knew: the Havana regime is sending mercenaries to fight for Russia in Ukraine (...) This is not a rumor, not an exaggeration. It is an act of war against Europe and the free world," Salazar wrote.

The politician demanded that all support for the Cuban regime be cut off immediately.

More than 20,000 Cuban soldiers on the battlefield

The first documented evidence of Cuban involvement in the conflict emerged in 2023, when Ukrainian forces identified 259 fighters carrying Cuban passports and even captured one as a prisoner of war. According to Zablotskyy, the concern now extends beyond the European battlefield to the risk of these trained fighters returning to Latin America, where they could be exploited by criminal networks or Moscow-aligned regimes like Venezuela.

The Ukrainian legislator plans to travel to Brussels soon to urge the European Union to impose new sanctions on the Cuban regime for its direct involvement in the war, serving Russian interests, and to halt financial support for the dictatorial Cuban government.