The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied reports of Cuban soldiers fighting alongside Russia in Ukraine and announced legal actions against Cubans accused of mercenary activities.

On Saturday, the Cuban Foreign Ministry stated that the US claims about Cuban soldiers participating in the fighting alongside Russia in Ukraine “have no basis in truth,” and for the first time disclosed legal proceedings against Cubans accused of mercenary involvement in the war.

Cuba had expressed support for Russia in the ongoing Ukraine conflict but simultaneously called for peace talks.

Reports of Cubans on the battlefield first appeared in 2023, prompting an investigation in Cuba. Havana later described those individuals as “mercenaries.”

The statement from the Cuban Foreign Ministry said, “Between 2023 and 2025, nine criminal cases were filed in Cuban courts accusing individuals of mercenary activities.”

It added, “Trials were held in eight of these cases, resulting in convictions of 26 defendants with sentences ranging from five to 14 years. Three cases are awaiting court rulings, and one case is currently on trial.”

US Sanctions

The United Nations is preparing to vote this month on a non-binding resolution calling on Washington to lift the decades-long economic embargo on Cuba, a resolution overwhelmingly approved annually since 1992.

The General Assembly adopted the resolution last year with 187 countries in favor, opposed only by the United States and Israel, while Moldova abstained.

A cable sent by the US State Department to its diplomatic missions indicated that Cuban soldiers are fighting alongside Russia in Ukraine.

The cable, first published by Reuters on Monday, stated: “After North Korea, Cuba is the largest contributor of foreign troops to the Russian aggression, with an estimated 1,000 to 5,000 Cubans fighting in Ukraine.”

The Cuban Foreign Ministry statement affirmed, “Cuba is not a party to the armed conflict in Ukraine, nor does it participate with military personnel there or in any other country.”

The ministry acknowledged it does not know the exact number of its nationals involved in the conflict but said it “maintains a policy of zero tolerance towards mercenarism, human trafficking, or the participation of its citizens in any armed confrontation in another country.”