Cuban Citizen Dies Fighting for Russia After False Promises of Reconstruction Work

Yoan Viondi Mendoza, a Cuban national, fell victim to Russian military recruiters who promised him a one-year contract to rebuild war-damaged structures. Instead, the 57th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment sent him to fight in Ukraine, where he died serving as a mercenary in the occupying forces.

"They promised Yoan a job with a one-year contract - restoring homes and buildings destroyed by the war. They assured him he wouldn't be involved in combat operations, at most he'd dig trenches," his brother Maikel Duro told journalists from Vot Tak, who tracked down the family after Duro's emotional video appeal circulated online.

Like numerous other residents from impoverished nations, Mendoza took the bait of substantial wages and the prospect of a new life. The reality proved fatal.

According to Maikel, the Russian Armed Forces recruitment process that ensnared his brother led to a hostile reception. Upon arriving at the training ground, Yoan attempted to escape. He repeatedly pleaded for help getting out. The unit - part of the 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division - operated with typical chaos for what Russia claims is the world's "second army": "there were drugs, and soldiers could choose whatever they wanted." Russia never paid the promised salary.

Eventually, the young man stopped contacting his family. His name later appeared on lists of dead mercenaries.

The "I Want to Live" project, which helps foreign fighters surrender to Ukrainian forces, noted that Mendoza could have survived had he reached out. Experience shows that for thousands of foreigners dying in someone else's war, captivity remains their only chance at survival.

Sources: I Want to Live Telegram Channel, Vot Tak News Portal