A hacking group was able to intercept new data regarding the recruitment of Cubans into the Russian military.
The InformNapalm volunteer intelligence community received email dumps from Ukrainian hacktivists of the Cyber Resistance team containing evidence revealing the arrival of Cuban mercenaries signing contracts with the Russian Armed Forces.
InformNapalm reported that newly discovered evidence contradicts official statements by the Cuban government, which claimed to have shut down the recruitment channel for mercenaries into Russia following a scandal revealed in a previous investigation.
On September 6, “InformNapalm” published the results of an extensive investigation based on material provided by the “Cyber Resistance” hackers. This investigation exposed the involvement of two hundred Cuban mercenaries who had been recruited to serve in the Russian Armed Forces by Tula military commissioner Anton Pyeryevozchykov.
The impact of this investigation was substantial, as it was translated and disseminated by volunteers in five different languages, gaining widespread international media coverage.
The Cuban authorities, unable to ignore the scandal, took action. On September 8, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the arrest of 17 individuals on charges of human trafficking. Those arrested now face up to 30 years in prison for involvement in mercenary activities, which are illegal according to Cuban law.
Cuban officials attempted to use these arrests to quell the scandal, insisting that the channel of mercenaries into Russia had been shut down. However, they made contradictory statements regarding the involvement of Cuban citizens in the conflict in Ukraine. On September 14, the Cuban Ambassador to Moscow stated that the Cuban government does not oppose its citizens serving in the Russian Armed Forces as long as it is “legal.” But within hours of this statement, Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez made an opposing declaration, stating that their country prohibits “the participation of Cuban citizens in conflicts of any kind” and condemns mercenary activities.
These inconsistent statements from the Cuban authorities raise questions about their true stance on the involvement of Cuban mercenaries in Russia’s military operations abroad.
The “Cyber Resistance” hackers recently intercepted new data regarding the recruitment of Cubans into the Russian military. These data include passport photos of at least 59 Cubans who arrived in the Russian city of Tula between August 25 and September 29 for the purpose of signing contracts. The passport photos have been compiled in a PDF file.
The continuous flow of Cuban mercenaries into Russia indicates that the Cuban government’s claims about halting this process were inadequate. The fact that no genuine efforts have been observed to repatriate identified mercenaries further underscores the incomplete nature of the Cuban response.
The recruitment of Cuban mercenaries into the Russian Armed Forces has the potential to have far-reaching implications, not only for Ukraine but also for global security.