Tens Of Thousands Of Cubans Have Been Recruited By Russia To Fight In Ukraine: Report

Tens of thousands of Cubans have been recruited by Russia to fight in the war in Ukraine, according to a new report.

CBS News published videos appearing to show nationals of the Caribbean country in the front lines. The outlet also included social media images of a group called "Cubans in Moscow" showing people wearing military fatigues.

Overall, the report claims some 20,000 Cubans have been recruited by Moscow to fight as mercenaries. They are being promised monthly salaries amounting to $2,000, a figure that is 100 times higher than the average salary in Cuba ($20).

"One was told he'd do construction, rebuilding cities destroyed in the war. However, he was sent to the front lines," a passage of the report details. It added that "at least 39" Cubas have been recorded as killed, but figures are believed to be much higher.

Another related report by the Miami Herald quoted Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, who said "Cuba is ranked at the very top among the source countries for mercenaries."

"Currently, our good intelligence tells us about at least 20,000 people from Cuba who have already filled out the documents and have been recruited to fight for Russia. We have been able to physically identify over 1,000 of those mercenaries," he added in June, noting that such operations could "not have taken place without the blessing of the Cuban regime."