Russia is increasingly relying on foreign military personnel. Due to record losses, the Kremlin is recruiting Cubans, North Koreans, Africans, and migrants from Central Asia. Their massive involvement significantly affects the course of the war and creates new security challenges. This is reported by UNN with reference to Forbes.
Details
It is noted that Moscow is actively replenishing personnel losses at the expense of foreign mercenaries. According to Ukrainian intelligence, up to 25,000 Cuban citizens may be fighting on the side of the Russian Federation – this makes them the largest foreign unit in the Russian armed forces.
Putin's regime benefits from involving Cuban mercenaries
According to the publication, thousands of people have already signed contracts to participate in hostilities at the front. Others claim that they were deceived — allegedly offered construction work, but were actually sent to the trenches.
Kristina Lopez-Gottardi, an associate professor at the Miller Center at the University of Virginia, notes that Cuba is currently experiencing a severe economic and energy crisis. The average salary on the island is about $20, so the money offered by Russia seems astronomical.
Despite Havana's official denials of involvement in recruitment, experts believe that such a large-scale recruitment would be impossible without the tacit consent of the Cuban authorities.
Recall
The US states that over 5,000 Cubans are participating in the war against Ukraine on the Russian side. Cuba and its president Miguel Díaz-Canel actively support Russian aggression, the State Department says.