Updated 00:35 | Published 00:27
Putin needs more soldiers for his war in Ukraine.
Now a Russian woman is singled out in the attempts to attract foreign men to the battles.
She promises salary, apartment and citizenship in Russia.
A Russian-based network recruiting Cuban citizens, both in Russia and in Cuba, for the war in Ukraine has been exposed.
This is stated by the Cuban government.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez writes on X, formerly Twitter, that all resources have been put into neutralizing the leagues.
Pointing out mysterious woman
“Cuba is not a participating party to the war in Ukraine”, states the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and adds that it will act against anyone who “participates in trafficking to recruit Cuban citizens with the aim of fighting against another country”.
At the same time The Moscow Times has reviewed groups on social media where Cuban citizens are being recruited into the Russian army.
The newspaper writes about a woman who acts in a Facebook group that is said to be aimed at Cubans in Moscow.
The woman, Elena Shuvalova, has written a series of posts in which she promises a salary and the possibility of Russian citizenship for those who sign up.
She states that in exchange for a one-year contract in the army, Cubans can receive a monthly salary of just over 20,000 kroner and citizenship for the whole family, writes The Moscow Times.
Attracts foreigners to site
People who do not have passports are also recruited.
– Recruits receive a fairly good income. Everyone wants to rent a nice apartment right away. But if necessary, before the first salary is paid, we can help move the family and assist with food, Shuvalova told the newspaper.
She states that she is doing this for free to help out.
However, Shuvalova does not answer a direct question from The Moscow Times if she works for the Russian Ministry of Defense.
She also shares recruitment ads for foreigners on the Russian platform Vkontakte.
In her profile on that site, she has a series of pictures in which the letter Z, which has become a popular symbol to show sympathy with the war, is included.
“Are likely dead”
A Spanish-speaking interpreter who works among Cubans in Moscow confirms to The Moscow Times that the army is recruiting men from Cuba.
– Many young guys come from Cuba to earn money here. They are not local Cubans. They don’t stay in Moscow – they sign immediately and go to the front, says the interpreter.
– And then they disappear. Their relatives are trying to find them through Cubans here or social media. But we have nothing to do with this. They have probably been killed.
Russia struggles to increase the number of soldiers to deploy to the fighting in Ukraine. According to British intelligence, they invest heavily in recruiting citizens from neighboring countries.
Shocked by the sight
Ads have appeared in both Armenia and Kazakhstan.
A senior Russian military man anonymously told The Moscow Times that he “was shocked” when he realized how many internationally recruited units are fighting on the Russian side in Ukraine.
– There are Cubans, there are Serbs. They speak bad Russian and that is not the only problem. It is unclear how to work with them, says the senior military officer.
– And they are not from any private army. All have contracts with the Ministry of Defence.