Cuban mercenaries continue to join ranks of Russian Armed Forces: Hackers uncover new evidence of recruitment. PHOTOS
Russia continues to recruit mercenaries from Cuba, despite the government’s statements about "closing" the channel of mercenary supply to Russia.
According to Censor.NET, this is stated in an investigation by InformNapalm.
Earlier, the results of an investigation based on materials provided by Cyber Resistance hackers into the participation in the war against Ukraine of two hundred Cuban mercenaries who were recruited into the Russian Armed Forces by Tula military commissar Anton Perevozchikov were published.
Cyber Resistance hackers have obtained new passport photos of at least 59 other Cubans who arrived in the Russian city of Tula between 25 August and 29 September to sign a contract, the investigation says.
It is noted that at least 11 of them passed through the Tula military enlistment office after the Cuban authorities announced the arrest of the scheme's participants and the termination of the mercenary supply channel.
For example, we know about a mercenary, Yanier Hernandez, who received a passport in 2017 and has been in Russia since at least June 2021.
Jorge Francisco Justo, also living in Russia two weeks before the full-scale invasion, was already living in Russia.
Yaser Alejandro Panecue Lopez, a 19-year-old man, is also one of the Russian mercenaries. On 21 September, he posted a ticket for flight No. 556 from Varadero (Cuba) to Sheremetyevo, Moscow, of the Russian airline Nordwind Airlines on his Instagram page.
"Yaser Lopez is very fond of taking photos and filming on his phone. Therefore, in addition to the information about his passport, the guy posted his Cuban ID document in the public domain," InformNapalm writes.
The recruited Cubans serve in the 106th Airborne Division of the Russian Armed Forces. The hackers received confirmation that at least 3 mercenaries are already in service. The rest are probably being finalised and are at the stage of signing contracts.
For example, Yainer Labrada, born on 25 January 1985, arrived in Russia no later than 2 September, and on 26 September he published a photo of himself in the uniform of the Russian Armed Forces.
Jaime Castillo, born on 17.09.1985, posted a photo on 22 September wearing a vest of the Russian Armed Forces and new boots with a high toe, which are commonly worn by the military.
Barbaro Aties, born on 04.12.1990, posted a photo of himself lying on a bed in a military barracks, with a paratrooper's vest hanging in the upper right corner and a part of his camouflage gear in the lower left corner.
"The Cuban government's statements about 'endinghuman trafficking' and condemning mercenarism are not enough. Yes, there is a criminal case, and 17 people have allegedly been arrested. However, we still do not know who these people are and what role they played in the entire scheme of supplying mercenaries to the Russian army. What we do know is that Cuban citizens continue to arrive in Russia. We see that this flow has not stopped," the statement said.
"There is also no evidence that Cuba has initiated criminal proceedings against the mercenaries already identified. Accordingly, when the Cuban ambassador to Moscow said that his government did not object to the participation of its citizens in the war against Ukraine, he was probably more frank than the Cuban Foreign Ministry, which was quick to deny this statement.
But any political decisions must have consequences, and if Cuba does not block the flow of mercenaries to Russia who sign contracts with the Russian Armed Forces to fight against Ukraine, there should be a corresponding reaction from the international community. Therefore, we draw attention to these new facts and evidence of Cuban recruitment into the Russian army," InformNapalm concluded.
