re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

BBC: Russia lures Cubans to army with offers of high pay, Russian passport

by Dmytro Basmat May 5, 2024 7:36 AM

Leaked documents reveal that Russia has been coercing Cuban citizens into the Russian Armed Forces with salaries of approximately $2,000 per month, in addition to offers of a Russian passports within months of signing up, a BBC investigation revealed on May 4.

According to the BBC, hundreds of Cubans have allegedly joined Russia's Armed Forces since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, online leaks reveal.

The BBC investigation further revealed social media posts suggesting some Cubans are receiving Russian passports within months of signing up for the Armed Forces, a theory that was corroborated by local media reports suggesting that citizenship to newly-recruited Cuban fighters would be granted "in the future."

Russia continues to increase its campaign to recruit foreigners in neighboring countries and exploited migrant workers for its war against Ukraine to avoid domestic mobilization. Foreign recruits from Nepal, Cuba, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Somalia, as well as additional central Asian and African countries, have served as primary targets for recruitment.

In January, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree allowing foreign nationals who join the Russian Armed Forces to be able to apply for Russian citizenship.

The Kyiv Independent