Cuba has made a series of arrests in connection with an alleged operation to recruit its citizens to fight for Russia in Ukraine. According to officials, 17 people have been detained, with three of them believed to be involved in recruitment within Cuba itself. The identities of those arrested have not been revealed, but it has been stated that they have previous criminal records.

The Cuban Foreign Ministry announced earlier this week that a network operating from Russia had been detected, targeting Cuban nationals living both in Russia and Cuba. The government stated that it was taking action to dismantle the network, but provided no further details. It also emphasized that Cuba is not involved in the conflict in Ukraine.

Cuba and Russia have a long-standing political alliance, and Cubans are able to travel to Russia without a visa for various purposes such as studying or working. The exact nature of the recruitment efforts and the motivations behind them remain unclear.

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