Another Cuban Mercenary Captured in Ukraine Conflict: "Many Didn't Survive"

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have announced the capture of yet another Cuban citizen fighting as a mercenary for the Russian army amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. Ernesto Míchel Pérez Alvelaes, born on August 15, 1999, in Trinidad, Sancti Spíritus province, was working as a construction laborer in Moscow when he was recruited by the Russian military on August 1.

According to the Cuban Resistance Assembly (ARC), with authorization from Ukrainian forces, Pérez Alvelaes was allegedly sent to assist in reconstruction tasks in occupied areas. However, he ended up on the front lines, witnessing the deaths of at least ten fellow Cuban nationals. "Many didn't survive. I was told I would be doing construction work, but it was a lie," the young man reportedly said after surrendering to Ukrainian troops, fearing for his life amid the Russian offensive.

This case emerged shortly after a national security meeting in Washington D.C.'s Capitol, where Cuban-American congress members, including Mario Díaz-Balart, Carlos Giménez, and María Elvira Salazar, raised alarms about the increasing involvement of Cubans in the war, allegedly with the Cuban regime's complicity.

During a press conference attended by an official Ukrainian delegation, it was revealed that thousands of Cuban citizens have been recruited as cannon fodder by Moscow, with active collaboration from the Havana government, which reportedly facilitates their transport, money laundering, and logistical integration into the Russian military.

The Ukrainian delegation called for economic sanctions against the Cuban regime and urged the Council of Europe to designate it as a terrorist state due to its role in the conflict. "We denounce the exploitation of the Cuban people by the Castro communist dictatorship, sending young people to die in service to Russia in a conflict that does not represent the interests of the Cuban nation," stated Dr. Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat, an ARC spokesperson, in a Facebook post by the Cuban Democratic Directorate.

This is not a new phenomenon. Since 2023, hundreds of Cubans have been enticed with promises of high salaries, Russian citizenship, and immigration benefits, only to be sent to military bases and front lines without proper training or informed consent once they reach Russian soil.

The scandal broke when young men Andorf Velázquez and Alex Vega, both 19, publicly accused recruiters of deceit. In a video aired by América TeVé, they declared, "It was all a scam. We are scared."

In June, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío officially denied any government involvement in recruiting Cubans for the war. However, investigations by Ukrainian media outlets like Schemes have uncovered that hundreds of Cubans are part of Russian units, including the 106th Airborne Division and Wagner Group squads.

While the regime denies its involvement, families in Cuba remain in the dark about their children's whereabouts, missing in the Kremlin's war machinery, and are met with silence from Cuban authorities.