The US State Department has told Congress that Cuba may be complicit in supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine by allowing thousands of its citizens to fight on Moscow’s side, according to a department report.
According to Axios, in an unclassified five-page report sent to key congressional committees on April 8, the department said there are “significant indicators” that Havana has tolerated or facilitated the flow of Cuban fighters to Russia.
“The public record does not prove Havana officially dispatched all Cuban fighters,” the report states. “However, there are significant indicators that the regime knowingly tolerated, enabled, or selectively facilitated the flow.”
The report estimates that between 1,000 and 5,000 Cuban nationals are fighting in Ukraine at any given time, with Ukrainian intelligence suggesting several thousand are deployed directly to the front line.
“The Cuban regime has failed to protect its citizens from being used as pawns in the Russia-Ukraine war,” a State Department spokesperson said.
Pressure campaign against Havana
The findings come as the White House ramps up pressure on Cuba’s government, including efforts to restrict oil shipments and push for political change in Havana.
“Cuban nationals have emerged as one of the largest identifiable groups of foreign fighters supporting Russian military operations in Ukraine,” the report states.
US Senator Ted Cruz said the Cuban government “undermines American interests all over the world.”
“If and when President Donald Trump gets around to replacing them, and I believe that will happen sooner rather than later, it will be a very good day for the US and our allies,” Cruz said.
Sen. Cruz’ father, Rafael Cruz, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s parents immigrated to the US from Cuba while under the Batista regime. The elder Cruz, who had been beaten for opposing the Batista regime, was granted political asylum after attending the University of Texas when Castro was in power; he became a citizen of Canada in 1973 and of the US in 2005.
Background, previous reports
The presence of Cuban nationals fighting for Russia was first reported in 2023, when media investigations found that Moscow had been recruiting Cubans for its military campaign.
Cuba’s government said at the time it had launched a criminal investigation and prosecuted multiple cases related to human trafficking, involving dozens of defendants.
However, the State Department said Cuba’s judicial system lacks transparency, making such claims difficult to verify.
“The regime’s opaque judicial system leaves those assertions unverifiable,” the report states.
The issue has also been raised in diplomatic efforts, including US lobbying against a UN resolution that sought to lift the embargo on Cuba, citing the alleged presence of Cuban fighters in Ukraine.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has rejected US pressure, saying his country would defend itself.
“We’ll defend ourselves, and if we need to die, we’ll die,” Díaz-Canel said in an interview broadcast on Sunday.
Russia has increasingly relied on foreign fighters and mercenaries to sustain its war against Ukraine, with recruits coming from countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia.
In July 2025, Putin signed a decree allowing foreigners to serve in the Russian Armed Forces during mobilization. Previously, foreign citizens were only permitted to serve during states of emergency, martial law, or active armed conflict.
The new legislation also allows highly qualified specialists who have reached the maximum service age to extend their contracts with Russian intelligence and security agencies, including the Federal Security Service.
Analysts say these measures are part of broader efforts by Moscow to replenish its military ranks while avoiding the political risks of a second large-scale mobilization.