Cuba denies claims of military involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine

The Cuban Foreign Ministry reported the information.

“The Government of the Republic of Cuba rejects the mendacious allegations being spread by the United States Government concerning an alleged involvement of Cuba in the military conflict in Ukraine. This is a slanderous accusation first launched in 2023 by certain media outlets without offering any evidence or substantiation of any kind, and clearly serving an assigned purpose. The Cuban Government categorically reaffirms that Cuba is not part of the armed conflict in Ukraine, nor does it participate with military personnel there or in any other country,” the statement reads.

The ministry stressed that no Cuban who may have taken part in hostilities acted with the consent or support of the state. At the same time, the government acknowledged that some citizens may have joined foreign armed groups on their own initiative, without any connection to the official authorities.

“In accordance with its national legislation and international obligations, the Cuban Government maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward mercenarism, human trafficking, and the participation of its nationals in any armed confrontation in another country — all of which constitute serious crimes subject to severe penalties under national law,” the ministry explained.

The ministry noted that from 2023 to 2025, Cuban law enforcement disrupted schemes to recruit citizens for participation in the war in Ukraine. During this period, courts considered nine criminal cases related to mercenary activity and sentenced 26 people to terms of 5 to 14 years in prison.

“Cubans participating on both sides of the armed conflict have been recruited through organizations not based in our country and having no connection whatsoever with the Cuban Government. In the vast majority of cases, this recruitment has been carried out abroad among Cuban nationals residing or temporarily staying in various countries, just as recruitment for that conflict has taken place among people of many other nationalities, in numbers that also remain imprecise. The United States Government has not provided and will not be able to offer a single piece of evidence to support its baseless and mendacious accusations in this new defamatory campaign against Cuba,” the ministry concluded.

• On October 5, Reuters reported that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump demands that American diplomats prevent the lifting of the long-standing embargo against Cuba, citing that over five thousand Cubans are fighting on Russia’s side against Ukraine.