September 14, 2023

Cubans Trafficked To Fight in Ukraine


Cubans Trafficked To Fight in Ukraine
Andorf Velázquez García and Alex Vegas Díaz, victims of trafficking, now trapped in Russia. Ricardo Robaina, Twitter.

On August 8, 17 people were arrested in Cuba in connection with a human trafficking scheme that tricked Cubans into going to Russia for "good-paying jobs" when, in reality, they were being sent to Ukraine to fight in Russia's war there. The operation was uncovered after two young men publicly announced that they were tricked.

The 19-year-olds Andorf Velázquez García and Alex Vegas Díaz were desperate to escape Cuba's economic and humanitarian crisis. The young men were offered contracts to work in construction in Russia by a Cuban salesperson known as "Diana" and two Russian women. There was no mention of Ukraine or the war in the contract.

Velázquez García and Vargas Díaz left from Cuba's Varadero Airport in the north of the island, from which Aeroflot operates daily direct flights to Moscow. The men claimed their flight had over 200 Cubans recruited under the same contract. América Noticias estimates that 6,000 to 7,000 men have left Cuba the same way Velázquez García and Vegas Díaz did.

Once in Moscow, a Cuban man in a Russian military uniform received the two men. They were assured they would be sent to a hotel, but wound up in a sports center under construction and received medical exams. As part of their package, both men received Russian citizenship. Velázquez García and Vegas Díaz said a woman completed the required language and history test for them. They were forced to wear military uniforms and receive training. Then, they got sent to the third line of defense in Ukraine. The monthly salary of R200,000 ($2,046) they were promised never came. Their bank accounts were emptied.

At the front, they received little food and were allowed to drink water only once a day. Both began having convulsions and passed out on the battlefield. One of them became sick with pneumonia. All their documents were taken away, and they reported being tortured. If they deserted, they would (as Russian citizens) face 30 years in prison. And returning to Cuba after speaking out against the government was too risky.

In an interview with the YouTuber Alain Paparazzi Cubano, who broke the story, the 19-year-olds begged, "I saw heads busted open... I didn't know what war really was... Please, don't come."

The Cuban government has openly supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Yet officials from the island have also said that "Cuba is not a part of the military conflict in Ukraine." The BBC has reported the presence of Cuban mercenaries in Russian trenches, as well as the victims of the trafficking scheme. The Russian government has not commented on the revelations.

You Might Also Like

Leave or Die
  • August 15, 2023

Leave or Die

In which we visit a "typical" Siberian town and dig into the issues and people who live there.
To Stay and Survive
  • August 15, 2023

To Stay and Survive

A filmmaker Elizaveta spent months riding Russia’s rails and discussing the war with fellow travelers.
  • August 15, 2023

"I Am Horrified"

The founder of Russian tech giant Yandex publicly condemns the War on Ukraine.
Antidepressants on the Rise
  • August 03, 2023

Antidepressants on the Rise

Antidepressant use in Russia has skyrocketed over the last year, especially in St. Petersburg.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955