Moscow is increasingly relying on foreign mercenaries, and in particular Cubans, to compensate for losses on the front, reduce public discontent within the country and maintain political stability. According to Ukrainian intelligence, up to 25,000 Cuban citizens may participate in hostilities on the side of the russian federation - this is the largest foreign contingent in the war.
Forbes reported this on Tuesday, October 7.
Recruiting foreigners to compensate for losses
According to the publication, the Kremlin is trying to make up for the lack of its own resources by recruiting mercenaries from abroad. Ukrainian intelligence services note that the deaths of foreigners do not cause a resonance in russian society, which allows the authorities to avoid protests and reduce payments to the families of fallen soldiers.
Financial incentives and deception
Cubans are actively lured with salaries of about USD 2,000 a month - several times more than the average income in their country. Some recruits sign contracts voluntarily, while others claim to have fallen victim to fraud: they were promised construction work in russia, but instead were sent to the front.
Despite official denials from Havana, experts emphasize that without the tacit consent of the Cuban authorities, such a large-scale recruitment campaign would be unlikely.
Consequences for the war and the world
The participation of foreign fighters allows russia to reduce its own losses and continue hostilities without significant internal pressure. At the same time, Cubans gain combat experience, in particular in operating modern equipment, including drones.
Analysts warn: the presence of a large number of Cuban mercenaries not only increases pressure on the Ukrainian front, but may also contribute to the spread of military skills in other regions of the world in the future, which creates new security risks.
Recall that there are about 700,000 russian soldiers on the territory of Ukraine.
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