HAVANA: Cuba has uncovered a human trafficking ring that coerced its citizens to fight for Russia in the war in Ukraine, its foreign ministry said, adding that Cuban authorities were working to “neutralise and dismantle” the network.

The statement from Cuba’s foreign ministry late on Monday gave few details, but noted the trafficking ring was operating both within the Caribbean island nation, thousands of miles from Moscow, and in Russia.

“The Ministry of the Interior... is working on the neutralisation and dismantling of a human trafficking network that operates from Russia to incorporate Cuban citizens living there, and even some from Cuba, into the military forces participating in war operations in Ukraine,” the Cuban government statement said.

Russia’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Foreign ministry says authorities working to ‘dismantle’ human trafficking network

Russia last year announced a plan to boost the size of its armed forces by more than 30 per cent to 1.5 million combat personnel, a lofty goal made harder by its heavy but undisclosed casualties in the war.

In late May, a Russia newspaper in Ryazan city reported that several Cuban citizens had signed contracts with Russia’s armed forces and had been shipped to Ukraine in return for Russian citizenship.

It was not immediately clear if the Cuban foreign ministry statement was associated with the Ryazan report.

Russia, which has strong political ties with communist-run Cuba, has long been an important destination for Cuban migrants seeking to escape economic stagnation at home.

The defense ministers of Cuba and Russia earlier this year discussed the development of joint “technical military” projects at a meeting in Moscow. But the administration of Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel denies any involvement in the Ukraine conflict.

“Cuba is not part of the war in Ukraine,” the foreign ministry said late on Monday. “(Cuba) is acting and will act energetically against anyone... who participates in any form of human trafficking for the purpose of recruitment of Cuban citizens as mercenaries to use arms against any country.”

Cuba said it had already begun prosecuting cases in which its citizens had been coerced into fighting in Ukraine.

“Attempts of this nature have been neutralised and criminal proceedings have been initiated against people involved in these activities,” the statement read.

On Friday, Miami’s America TeVe newspaper published what it described as testimonies from two teenagers who said they had been tricked into working alongside the Russian army on construction sites in Ukraine.

In a video message posted on the newspaper’s website, one of the teens called for help getting out as quickly as possible. America TeVe said the video message was sent from a bus transporting the pair from Ukraine to the Russian city Ryazan along with Russian servicemen.

“We can’t sleep (because) at any moment they can come back and do something to us,” said another young man, who claimed to have been beaten.

Another Cuban man told the media outlet that he had signed up with Moscow’s armed forces hoping to legalise his status in Russia.

Moscow and Havana have boosted ties recently, with Cuban President Miguel Daz-Canel meeting his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow at the end of last year.

In June, Cuban Defence Minister Alvaro Lopez Miera was received by his counterpart Sergei Shugu.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2023