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North Korea sent troops to the Russia-Ukraine front, which shocked the outside world. After Pyongyang’s “national name” came out, another name also quietly emerged – Cuba.
U.S. intelligence documents indicate that thousands of Cubans are already on the battlefield in Ukraine.
On October 7th, the Russian State Duma formally approved the Agreement on Military Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Cuba.
This document, signed in Havana and Moscow respectively in March this year, provides a legal framework for deepening defense cooperation between the two countries. It marks the transition of Russia-Cuba relations from political solidarity to substantive military cooperation.
The agreement replaced the old treaty since 1997 and appeared to be no longer a mere symbolic gesture, but a move toward substantial bonds.
The details of the agreement are hidden behind the scenes, the outside is unclear, but the time point itself is subtle. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict lasted for more than two years, and the Russian army's hands and fronts were very tight.
Cuba, on the other hand, is experiencing the most difficult economic scenario in decades, and two countries that have long been sanctioned by the West have come closer under their respective pressures.
Ukraine intelligence agencies revealed that Russia not only promotes military cooperation under the framework of the agreement, but also uses Cuban troops in actual combat.。
There are reports that about 20,000 Cubans were recruited as mercenaries, signed short-term contracts, and then sent to Donetsk and Lugansk, where the fighting was the most intense.
This number is far from as simple as the 5,000 people speculated by the outside world.
Cuba is not a new recruit. During the Cold War, they were the old faces of the third world.
Angola, Ethiopia, and Yemen in the 1970s were all seen, behind them was the support of the Soviet Union, with tens of thousands of people backed by the so-called “friendly regimes.”
These wars have given Cuba a lot of combat experience.
Their discipline was iron-fighting, the squad was flexible, and now they once again set foot on other people's land, just changing their flags. The thinking in the heart is completely different, before it was for the revolution, now it is for living.
Cuba’s economy has long been unbearable, with more than sixty years of U.S. blockade as a cover, controlling energy, food and foreign currency to the death and death.
From 2024 to 2025, Cuba's economic losses exceeded US $7.5 billion, and the country's cumulative losses have exceeded US $170 billion. The monthly salary of ordinary people is only about $20, and the shortage of daily necessities has become the norm.
At this time, Russia issued an attractive “contractual military price list”: $2,400 a month, which is one hundred times the salary of ordinary Cubans.
Many young people know that there is a cruel war ahead, but are still willing to bet, just to get some meat on the table at home.
For them, This is really not a war, this is a different way to earn your lifeThe exchange of humanitarian aid slowly became Cuba’s choice on the table.
Moscow sent fuel and food, and the debt was written off. Havana used the figure of young soldiers to pay this political and economic bill.
It is exactly the same as North Korea-Pyongyang sends engineers for food and Havana sends contractors for oil. This is a naked reality transaction.
In Moscow it is clear that the meaning of this game is far more than filling the void in the front.
Moreover, on the political chessboard, there is a gesture of global Southern unity, and the accession of Cuba, as a signal, It shows that those countries that have been neglected by the West are quietly being wooed over.
Russia may plan to deploy missile systems in Cuba Including an upgraded version of the "Tree" tactical missile, in order to form a strategic containment of the United States.
Washington's reaction came quickly and with a strong air.
Washington is not only lobbying allies at the United Nations against Cuba's counter-sanctions proposals, He also described Cuba’s actions in support of Russia as a “global threat.”
This series of moves has made Cuba even more isolated on the international stage and can only rely more tightly on Moscow.
On the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield, the performance of Cuban soldiers remains unknown.
Although they have rich combat experience, they are facing modern warfare. Drones, electronic warfare and precision strikes, old-fashioned equipment and communication systemsImpossible without heart.
Language barriers also constitute real problems- Poor communication between Spanish and Russian affects the efficiency of coordinated operations.
However, Cuban soldiers are known for their perseverance and discipline. Their expertise in squad operations and urban penetration may make up for some of their technical shortcomings.
Hearing that some of them, who had been enlisted in the special units of the Russian army, hid in the front, For the rear artillery marks cold coordinates, these blind shadows, but sometimes can push the entire battle scene.
On the other hand, English and French are mixed together, and the Spanish of the Colombian accent is often heard, and the land is filled with people of different skin colors.
No one sees it as a confrontation between two countries anymore. It is more like a huge chessboard with many chess players standing behind it.
Everyone is betting. Resources, influence, and even just the right to live are placed on the gambling table. Cuba's entry into the game is more like a difficult bet in the cracks.
North Korea's troops moved out to add weight to the negotiating table, while the Cubans used their bodies to block bullets and created a gap for survival.
The war has pushed the two blockaded countries back onto the international stage, and the world has also seen, The Cold War never really ended, it just changed the battlefield.
References:
1. "Russian Media: Russian State Duma Approves Military Cooperation Agreement between Russia and Cuba" 2025-10-08 11:37| Source: Reference News
The U.S. Blockade Increases The Cuban Economy Loses More Than $7.5 Billion a Year 2025-09-18 10:29 PM Source: Lightning Network
3. "Russian Expert: In order to deter the United States, Russia can ship the Iskander and Hazel Tree missile systems to Cuba" 2025-10-09 14:09| Source: Reference News