Ukraine Accuses Cuba Of Sending Thousands To Fight In Russian Army, Shutters Havana Embassy

Ukraine has announced the closure of its embassy in Havana amid escalating diplomatic tensions, especially over the accusation that Cuba has turned a blind eye recruitment of its citizens to fight for Russia in the ongoing war.

The decision followed Ukraine’s vote against a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for an end to the US embargo on Cuba, in a pattern which is reminiscent of Cold War-era global politics (America-aligned nations seeking to punish the 20th c. Soviet-aligned bloc).

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has formally alleged thousands of Cubans had “signed contracts, joining the ranks of soldiers directly engaged in combat operations on Ukrainian soil.”

Kiev is essentially accusing Cuba of inaction and pro-Moscow sympathies, describing that “its unwillingness to halt the large-scale deployment of Cuban nationals in Russia’s war against Ukraine amounts to complicity in aggression.”

Ukrainian military intelligence has tallied at least 1,076 Cuban citizens fighting on the side of Russian forces, and surprisingly it claims that close to a hundred Cubans are reported missing and presumed dead.

Interestingly, Ukrainian intelligence says Russia has in some cases lured Cubans to join its military ranks by promising construction jobs online, facilitated by agents and middle-men.

European security officials have also of late been warning of potential fraudulent actors working with Russian intelligence to recruit unsuspecting young men from the West.

The biggest number of foreign fighters on Russia’s side are believed to be North Korean – at over 10,000 since reports of the phenomenon started being made public – with possibly hundreds having died on the battlefield.

So funny how you can always identify the latest roster of most supplicant US vassal states by the UN General Assembly vote on lifting the Cuba embargo. Argentina now joins the mainstays Ukraine and Israel, along with North Macedonia, Hungary, and Paraguay (?) pic.twitter.com/s4sSloo1Wi

— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) October 29, 2025

In total there could be 20,000 North Koreans currently assisting Russia’s defense sector, and most of the actual fighting men were said to be active in defending Russia’s southern borders.

Other foreign fighters are believed to be from impoverished African nations, with men lured by the promise of good pay, acting essentially as mercenaries.