A Cuban man from the eastern part of the island has been confined in a Russian immigration detention center for half a year. With no deportation date in sight, he faces relentless pressure to join the Russian military and head to the Ukrainian frontlines.
This troubling narrative has been documented by journalist Claudia Padrón for Cubanet, a media outlet closely monitoring this issue.
A Telegram Job Offer Turns Into a Trap
Jannis del Toro Almenares departed Cuba on February 10, 2026, leaving from Varadero airport. He believed he was traveling for a work opportunity he found on Telegram.
The offer included covering his airfare and initial accommodation, with the expectation that he would repay once employed. Desperate to leave behind the poverty in Santiago de Cuba, he accepted without much hesitation.
Upon landing in Moscow after a 12-hour flight, a taxi driver met him as promised. However, the journey didn't conclude in Russia's capital. They drove for hours until reaching Volgograd, a southwestern city over 1,000 kilometers from Moscow.
That very night, the promise of employment vanished. Jannis recounted to Cubanet via WhatsApp from his cell that he was told there was no job for him except selling drugs. Pretending to agree, he waited for the men to leave before turning himself in to the police.
Authorities assured him of deportation back to Cuba, yet that vow was broken.
Half a Year Stuck with Only One Offer: War
Since then, Jannis has been shuffled between detention centers. The first kept him isolated for about a month, and the second, even more remote, allowed only ten minutes of phone calls daily.
In June, he arrived at his current center. "All they give us is macaroni, what we call 'coditos' in Cuba, and a piece of bread. They bring both meals together once a day, always the same boiled food," he describes.
The constant pressure to sign a military contract is his greatest anguish. "The only thing they bring me are contracts to go to war. Guards offer money and citizenship, but I won't sign anything," he declared. He feels coerced to the point of desperation.
This scenario mirrors a pattern documented extensively. A 2025 investigation by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty revealed similar networks among Central Asian migrants, lured by false promises of high wages and paid travel, ultimately recruiting them for drug trafficking.
For Cubans, the final destination is often the Ukrainian frontlines. In May 2026, the UK sanctioned Cuban Dayana Echemendia Díaz, residing in Ryazan, for deceitfully recruiting compatriots to fight under duress.
The Cuban Consulate: Silence and Neglect
Jannis has managed to reach the Cuban Consulate in Russia only twice. His first contact, after three months of detention, revealed his name wasn't on any deportation list. It was only after this call that he was registered.
In May, he contacted them again, pleading for assistance to return to the island. The response was that there were no direct flights between Russia and Cuba, and a relative would need to purchase a ticket with a stopover.
"I explained I had no one to buy the ticket because my family is poor. They told me, unfortunately, I had to wait," he recalls. Since then, his letters and calls have gone unanswered. "It's all lies. They don't care about us," he laments.
A Repeated Tragedy
Jannis's predicament is not unique. According to the Ukrainian project "I Want to Live," at least 93 Cubans have perished fighting for Russia by January 2026, with an average survival of only 150 days post-deployment.
A report from the International Federation for Human Rights estimates at least 20,000 Cubans have been sent to fight in Ukraine since 2023.
With no resolution in sight, Jannis has requested to be sent to Uzbekistan, similar to another Cuban recently moved to Tashkent under the belief she was returning to Cuba. He claims someone there is willing to receive him.
Meanwhile, he remains in Volgograd, rejecting military contracts and awaiting any response from the Cuban Consulate.
FAQs on Cuban Detention and Recruitment in Russia
What led to Jannis del Toro Almenares's detention in Russia?
Jannis was detained after a job offer he received on Telegram turned out to be a trap, leading him into a precarious situation with no legitimate work available.
What pressures are detainees like Jannis facing in Russia?
Detainees are under constant pressure to sign military contracts to fight in Ukraine, often lured with promises of money and citizenship.
How is the Cuban government responding to these situations?
The response from the Cuban Consulate has been largely inadequate, with little assistance provided to detainees seeking repatriation.