Traffickers stole Cubans and sent them to fight in Ukraine on the side of the Russian Federation

Cuba has uncovered a human trafficking network. Cubans were forced to fight on Russia's side in the war in Ukraine, reports Reuters.

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The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced this on September 4, adding that Cuban authorities are working to “neutralize” this network.

The Cuban Foreign Ministry statement provided few details but noted that the network of human traffickers operated both on the Caribbean island nation, thousands of kilometers from Moscow, and in Russia.

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“The Ministry of the Interior is working to neutralize and dismantle the human trafficking network that operates from Russia with the goal of incorporating Cuban citizens living there and even some citizens in Cuba into the armed forces participating in military operations against Ukraine,” the Cuban government said in a statement.

Last year, Russia announced a plan to increase the size of its armed forces by more than 30% to 1,5 million troops. This goal is complicated by the heavy but undisclosed losses of the war.

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At the end of May, several Cuban citizens signed contracts with the Russian military. They were sent to fight in Ukraine in exchange for Russian citizenship.

Russia, which has strong political ties to communist Cuba, has long been a desirable destination for Cuban migrants seeking to escape economic stagnation at home.

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

“Cuba is not involved in the war in Ukraine,” the Foreign Ministry said late on September 4. “Cuba has and will oppose any form of human trafficking for the purpose of recruiting Cuban citizens as mercenaries to use weapons against any country.”

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Cuba said it had already launched an investigation into cases in which its citizens were forced to take part in the fighting in Ukraine.

“Attempts of this kind have been neutralized, and criminal cases have been initiated against persons involved in these activities,” the statement said.

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