“In general, this figure could be about 10, 12, 15 thousand. This is a small number of people who were either deceived or otherwise forced to sign a contract,” he said.
Ukraine does not consider Cuban mercenaries to be any separate military force that can influence the battlefield, Chernyak added.
Russia views Cuba as a zone of its geopolitical interests, so it uses the recruitment of its citizens into its own army for propaganda purposes, not military purposes, according to Ukrainian intelligence.
“They use this in the political arena, for the domestic consumer. They are trying to show that Russia is not an aggressor, and other countries, let’s say, of the civilized world also support Russia’s ideas and plans,” Chernyak added.
Context
Russia has been recruiting foreign mercenaries into its army since the start of the full-scale invasion. Foreigners are offered military service in exchange for Russian citizenship, and are also recruited through deception or pressure: they are offered work in the rear or threatened with problems with the police, the GUR noted.
On August 12, 2025, Ukrainian intelligence reported that the Russians were recruiting citizens from 138 countries to fight against Ukraine. According to UK data as of February 2026, Russia is increasingly relying on foreign fighters in its war against Ukraine as its army losses exceed its ability to replace them.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on foreigners to avoid falling into the ranks of the Russian occupation army by any means, and if sent to the front, to contact the “I Want to Live” project.
On October 7, 2025, Forbes, citing Ukrainian officials, reported that soon up to 25 thousand Cubans could fight for Russia, which would surpass the North Koreans as the largest contingent of foreign troops on the battlefield. For many Cubans, the attraction lies in finances, the media emphasized. At the beginning of February 2026, the Russian Federation limited the recruitment of foreign mercenaries from several dozen states; according to media reports, Cuba was included in this list.
