Avellon Williams
HAVANA, CUBA- In exchange for citizenship, Cuban immigrants in Russia are joining the military to fight in Ukraine, according to a report.
A local press outlet reported on Wednesday that several Cubans had signed one-year contracts and were sent to the war zone.
Russian federal government will pay $2,433 to those who sign contracts to fight, and Ryazan will pay $2,500, plus a monthly salary of $2,545.
In order to boost its depleted ranks, the Russian military has been paying potential recruits much more than their average monthly wage of 63,060 rubles ($810).
In an announcement earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said foreigners who enlisted in the Russian army to fight in the war would be eligible to receive Russian citizenship.
The Cuban outlet Directorio Cubano reports that in recent years thousands of Cubans have settled in Russia since it is one of the few countries that doesn’t require Cubans to get a visa.
In a previous report, Russian authorities also attempted to recruit Central Asian migrant workers to fight in Ukraine to avoid another mandatory mobilization.
As a result of the draft of 300,000 reservists in September, thousands of men of fighting age fled their countries.
Since December 2022, the US estimates 100,000 Russian fighters have been killed or injured in the conflict in Ukraine. However, Russia has not confirmed its numbers.
