Cuban Man Reveals Horrors of Being Tricked into Fighting for Russia in Ukraine War

Francisco Garcia, a 37-year-old Cuban man, was among hundreds of Cubans who responded to social media ads promising well-paid construction jobs in Russia. However, upon arriving in Moscow, Garcia quickly realized the truth: he and others were being sent to fight in Ukraine.

According to a report by Daily Mail, Garcia described how he and other Cubans were deceived by job offers on platforms like Facebook, which claimed they would be repairing buildings damaged in Ukraine. Instead, they were transported to military bases, trained for 30 days, and then sent to the front lines without warning.

Garcia revealed that thousands of Cubans have been recruited by Russia since the war began in February 2022, with Ukrainian intelligence estimating that nearly 7,000 Cubans are currently fighting. Garcia himself was part of a group of 90 Cubans sent to the front, more than half of whom were killed in battle.

Life on the Front Lines
Garcia recounted the horrors of war, stating that drones posed the greatest threat. He also claimed that some Russian soldiers, traumatized by the war, took their own lives. Garcia was wounded twice and abandoned by Russian troops, forcing him to fend for himself.

After a year of fighting in Rostov, Donetsk, and Soledar, Garcia was awarded a medal and certificate and granted a two-month leave in October 2024. He used this time to plan his escape, traveling through Belarus, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt before reaching Athens, Greece.

Current Situation
In Athens, Garcia was detained for two months before being released. He now lives in a tent in the city, struggling with the physical and mental scars of his ordeal.