Ukrainian hacktivist group known as the “Cyber Resistance” has obtained evidence that Russia is recruiting Cuban citizens to fight in Ukraine. The group has hacked the personal email account of a Russian officer in the Western Military District, Anton Valentinovich Perevozchikov, who was involved in the recruitment of foreign military personnel.
The cache of hacked documents contains nearly 200 passport scans and images of Cuban nationals. All of them are citizens of Cuba except one individual, who is a citizen of Colombia. The data dump also contains a series of Spanish-language enlistment contracts (questionnaires, salary application forms, contracts with annexes) with a section of the Russian Armed Forces headquartered in the city of Tula.
According to the documents, Cubans are guaranteed a full benefits package, which is also provided to Russian contractor soldiers such as a one-time payment of 195,000 rubles when signing a contract for one year or more, monthly payments from 204,000 rubles per month in the area of a “special military operation” (depending on military rank, position and length of service) and other benefits.
The group’s leak comes after the Cuban government announced it dismantled a human trafficking operation recruiting its citizens to fight in Russia’s war in Ukraine. The statement cited Cuba’s “firm and clear historical position against mercenarism” and said that it was “not part of the war in Ukraine.”
The authorities also said they initiated criminal proceedings against those involved with the recruiting group.