The State Department informed that Cuba has sent up to 5,000 fighters to Russia to fight in the Ukraine war and has also provided "diplomatic and political support for Moscow," according to a new report.
Axios cited an official transmission from the State Department saying that while "the public record does not prove Havana officially dispatched all Cuban fighters," there are "significant indicators that the regime knowingly tolerated, enabled, or selectively facilitated the flow."
"Cuban nationals have emerged as one of the largest identifiable groups of foreign fighters supporting Russian military operations in Ukraine," the report added, noting that, according to Ukrainian intelligence, several thousands have been deployed "directly to the Ukrainian front."
"The Cuban regime has failed to protect its citizens from being used as pawns in the Russia-Ukraine war," a State Department spokesperson told the outlet.
The assertion is not new. Several reports have detailed the presence of Cuban troops in the war, and some outlets said the figures could be higher.
CBS News published last year videos appearing to show nationals of the Caribbean country in the front lines. The outlet also included social media images of a group called "Cubans in Moscow" showing people wearing military fatigues.
Overall, the report claims some 20,000 Cubans have been recruited by Moscow to fight as mercenaries. They are being promised monthly salaries amounting to $2,000, a figure that is 100 times higher than the average salary in Cuba ($20).
"One was told he'd do construction, rebuilding cities destroyed in the war. However, he was sent to the front lines," a passage of the report from September details. It added that "at least 39" Cubans have been recorded as killed, but figures are believed to be much higher.
Another related report by the Miami Herald quoted Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, who said "Cuba is ranked at the very top among the source countries for mercenaries."
