Russia eyes 25,000 Cuban recruits amid mobilization issues — military analyst

Military analyst Vasyl Pekhno shared the information on Espreso TV.

“If reports like those in Reuters are true, for example, that 25,000 Cubans could join the Russian army, that is a huge number. That’s roughly the monthly number of Russians destroyed — the work of all Ukrainian Defense Forces in a month,” Pekhno said.

He added that contract bonuses for Russians are constantly increasing, indicating mobilization problems and fewer volunteers joining the Russian army.

“First, hiring Cubans could be much cheaper for Russia. For example, $2,000 doesn’t compare to the contracts offered to Russians. Recently, signing bonuses for Russians have skyrocketed. This shows they are struggling to mobilize people. In Tyumen region, a decision was made that by November 30, payments combined with federal ones will exceed $40,000. These amounts keep rising. They have trouble mobilizing their own population, so they want to rely on much cheaper Cubans,” he concluded.

• On October 5, Reuters reported that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump demanded American diplomats prevent the lifting of the long-standing embargo on Cuba, as over 5,000 Cubans are fighting for Russia against Ukraine.