At least one group of Cubans enlisted in the Russian army by contract, that is, in exchange for payment, which in this case is supposed to amount to the equivalent of about $2,500, according to reports in the Russian press.
The middle The Ryazan Gazette published that the selection point for the military service recruited from that region of the Central district of Russia, not far from Moscow, has completed the planned activities, and that among the new recruits are foreigners, specifically, several Cuban citizens.
“Citizens who have signed a contract will receive a lump sum of 195 thousand rubles from the federal budget, and citizens of the Ryazan region will also receive 200 thousand rubles from the regional budget. If they carry out tasks in the North Caucasus area, they are entitled to receive 204,000 rubles a month,” the local media reported.
In addition to the monetary component, many Cubans who are in Russia, without other possibilities of regularization, are attracted by the promise that after only one year of service they will be able to take advantage of Russian citizenship, both they and their direct relatives, as a result of the order signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in September 2022, making it easier for foreigners to enlist in the Russian military by contract. Previously the legislation was stricter and one had to serve no less than five years to obtain citizenship.
Although according to the legislation those hired must be in a regular situation in the country and know the Russian language, on social networks, especially in groups of Cubans, there are frequent advertisements from Russian citizens promoting this possibility even for those who do not meet these requirements. “You only need the passport, the illegal stay does not matter,” one of them replied to a Cuban who was interested.
In the year and shortly that the war in Ukraine lasted, the casualties among Russian troops numbered in the tens of thousands. On the other hand, there have been numerous complaints from Russian soldiers about irregularities in those payments. In recent times, complaints about the poor preparation and insufficient means that they receive on many occasions are frequent. For a foreigner, who does not even know the language correctly, the disadvantage is evident, so Cubans who enlist are exposed to paying a high price for the promised perks.
