Cubans Allegedly Deceived and Recruited as Soldiers in the War in Ukraine

The Cuban government has announced that it has dismantled a human trafficking gang that was taking Cuban citizens to Russia to recruit them as soldiers and participate in the war in Ukraine. The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it does not promote or support Cuban citizens participating in warlike actions in the conflict. This statement came after young Cubans Andorf Velázquez García and Alex Vegas Díaz exposed on social media that they were tricked into going to Russia and were then taken to military recruitment zones. While the Russian government has not provided official data on the presence of Cuban soldiers in its army, it was reported earlier this year that several Cubans residing in Russia had enrolled in the Russian army. The Cuban government’s statement also responded to the case of these young Cubans, indicating that a gang had been identified attempting to traffic Cuban citizens for recruitment purposes in Russia.