In a statement, the Cuban foreign ministry said that the authorities were working to "neutralise and dismantle" the network, which it said was operating within the Caribbean island nation and in Russia.
"The ministry of the interior ... is working on the neutralisation and dismantling of a human trafficking network that operates from Russia to incorporate Cuban citizens living there, and even some from Cuba, into the military forces participating in war operations in Ukraine," the Cuban ministry statement said.
"Cuba has a firm and clear historical position against the use of mercenaries... Cuba is not part of the war in Ukraine," the ministry added.
The foreign ministry did not comment on whether any Cubans were known to have joined the war in Ukraine as part of the trafficking ring, or whether the ring had any connections to the Russian government.
Last May, the Russian regional newspaper Ryazan Gazette said that "several Cuban citizens" had signed up with the Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, but it was not clear whether the Cuban foreign ministry statement was linked to those reports.
This story is from the September 06, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the September 06, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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