Ukraine accuses Cuba of supplying thousands of fighters to Russia’s war

Ukrainian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Volodymyr Pavlichenko addressed a U.S.-hosted panel titled “Cuba Libre: The Oppression Havana Hides,” condemning the Cuban government for sending its citizens to fight for Russia. He said Ukrainian estimates place Cuban nationals among the four biggest foreign contingents in the Russian army, with more than 1,000 Cubans signing contracts from 2023 to 2025, part of an overall 20,000 foreign fighters from 47 nations.

Pavlichenko described the recruitment as exploitation, labeling the Cubans “cannon fodder” and urging the international community to halt the practice and free those detained. U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz echoed the criticism, accusing the Castro regime of modern-day slavery by profiting from the deployment of Cuban doctors and mercenaries. The panel highlighted previous Ukrainian claims, including a 2025 estimate by lawmaker Maryan Zablotskyy that up to 20,000 Cubans were involved, and noted the capture of a Cuban mercenary, Frank Dario Jarrosay Manfuga. The diplomats called for an end to the recruitment and for accountability for the Cuban regime.