According to Ukrainian officials, up to 25,000 Cubans could soon fight for Russia, surpassing the North Koreans as the largest contingent of foreign troops on the battlefield.
The regime of illegitimate Russian President Vladimir Putin benefits from attracting Cuban mercenaries, Ukrainian military intelligence believes. If a foreigner dies, then there is no social benefit or responsibility, and in Russia there are no relatives dissatisfied with the war, noted the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Moscow Region.
Russia's large losses in manpower force it to recruit foreigners from Africa, Latin America and Central Asia to fight in the war.
For many Cubans, the attraction lies in finances, Forbes emphasized.
Thousands of people reportedly signed contracts for a promised salary of about $2,000 a month, significantly higher than the average salary in Cuba (about $20). There are also those who say they were duped into offering construction jobs in Russia and then sent to the front lines in the trenches.
Official Havana denies direct involvement in the war in Ukraine, but analysts believe that the scale of recruitment would have been impossible without the tacit consent of the Cuban authorities, Forbes indicated.
