Cuba Emerges as Russia's Second-Largest Source of Cannon Fodder After North Korea

Cuba has become one of the primary suppliers of "cannon fodder" for the Russian Army - and perhaps the most textbook example of a mercenary-donor country.

A state politically and economically dependent on the USSR/Russia for over 60 years, nearly impoverished, and currently experiencing one of the most severe periods in its history - this combination creates ideal hunting grounds for Russian recruiters. Moreover, the regime ruling the island not only fails to prevent its citizens from being sent to someone else's war but actively facilitates it.

Previously, the "I Want to Live" project published data on more than 1,000 Cubans who signed contracts with Russia's Armed Forces in 2023-2024, as well as a list of 54 Cuban mercenaries killed in the war against Ukraine.

Official Havana consistently denies the presence of Cuban citizens recruited into the russian army, accordingly refusing to search for the dead and missing. The regime also ignores its citizens taken prisoner in Ukraine.

How did it happen that Cuba trails only North Korea in supplying Russia with manpower for the war against Ukraine? Journalists from Radio Liberty investigated this phenomenon, revealing the exploitation pipeline that funnels economically desperate Cubans into russia's meat grinder.

The Cuban government's complicity extends beyond mere indifference - by maintaining silence and refusing to acknowledge these deployments, Havana effectively sanctions the use of its citizens as expendable troops in Russia's war of aggression.

Sources: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, I Want to Live Telegram Channel