This new Fb account of numerous dudes whose names and pictures meets the newest passports seen by-time mean that it rapidly marketed ramshackle homes and you may kept the girlfriends, spouses, and you may young children to go out of to own Russia. This new recruits’ societal-media profile emphasize the new difficulty of its resides in Cuba, having postings begging to own medication and attempting to sell anything from cellular phone pieces in order to rationed chicken with the black market websites. “On currency you can pay me,” one Cuban people told you within the videos with the WhatsApp managed so you’re able to Russian employers, “if the I’m killed or perhaps not, no less than I will be able to help my loved ones.”
On the days you to accompanied, a stream of Cuban recruits started to get to Tula, according to the hacked files
“My dad decided to go to Angola,” one son typed in a lengthy need out of their decision, referencing Cuba’s deployment of greater than 50,000 “volunteers” so you’re able to Angola and you will Ethiopia of 1975 to 1991 to battle within the Soviet-supported wars. “Every my personal men forefathers were in some combat and i also want to check out all of them…I am aware the thought of cannon fodder and i dont care.”
With the July 1, Russian airline Aeroflot first started doing work direct flights from the Cuban beach city of Varadero to help you Moscow. “We now have 14 anybody on selection point,” Maj. Anton Valentinovich Perevozchikov, a good Russian army officer around regarding Tula, blogged inside the a contact toward July 18. “Passport translations try urgently needed.” The new flow seemed to continue for at least a month. “ten more people are arriving observe myself today,” this new administrator typed into the Aug. 18. (Perevozchikov didn’t respond to TIME’s request remark.)
In clips shared with Cuban media, recruits flick themselves at the an army foot having the minds bare by the Russian troops
These letters and connected data were to your Sept. 5 by the a great Ukrainian activist hacker category titled “Cyber Opposition UA,” that has also taken responsibility for the current leaks of hacked letters off Russian political leaders. “The new Cuban bodies is wanting to abdicate obligations to have giving the customers to help you war facing Ukraine,” the brand new hacker class blogged to the Telegram following the Cuban government generated the human being-trafficking allegation. “We’re going to ‘help’ the latest Cuban bodies to keep in mind the problem and you will publish this new passports off 200 mercenaries.”
Time was able to matches at least 20 labels into passports to help you personal-news profiles. Some of the photographs were photo of its Russian migration cards, which county the reason for going to the country because the “tourism.” Most of the arrivals seem to have flown towards Sheremetyevo Global Airport when you look at the Moscow, where several claimed being welcomed because of the Cuban troops. In one photo viewed by-time, recent arrivals pose for a beneficial selfie within airport with a great fellow Cuban dressed in an armed forces consistent towards the Russian flag spot, providing good thumbs-upwards sign.
The recruits failed to hide their strategies, overall might assume when they have been part of a keen undercover program otherwise “trafficking” operation. Certain changed the Twitter place to “residing Moscow” and you can published frequent photos which have sites and you may military apparatus. Six images delivered to family and seen because of the Go out show Cuban recruits posing in barracks otherwise holding weapons. In one single, Pedro Soto Hernandez, whose passport makes reference to your as the good 59-year-old native of Granma, presents inside the good Russian army uniform, flashing a leisure sign on caption “por la madre patria.” (“Toward motherland.”) One to recruit’s aunt informed Time she talked in order to her nephew almost each day, hence he was however trained in Russia.
But following recruits’ deployment so you can Ukraine, a lot of this new telecommunications seemed to quit, leading to mislead and frequently eager texts out of family and JuЕѕnoafriДЌka Еѕene za brak friends back home. “I would like a variety in which I can started to my cousin,” a lady called Yanisleydy Hernandez released into the July six. “He enlisted regarding [Russian] Armed forces.” Numerous recruits advised Cuban mass media that the devices was in fact taken away from the Russian forces when they was in fact implemented, mentioning protection concerns about getting identified from the drones. Inside an excellent July 31 article circulated in Cuban organizations on Facebook, an anonymous people said he had been not able to reach his pal during the Russia to tell him their brother got died home. “Excite, cubanos, avoid being fooled by such not true guarantees,” the guy published. “The issue inside the Cuba is crappy, but attending a battle isn’t a [better] solution.”