US representative Dan Negrea said at a UN Security Council meeting that foreign nationals are taking part in hostilities on Russia’s side, with their countries of origin spanning several regions of the world.

The US representative paid particular attention to Cuba. According to him, there are allegedly credible reports that thousands of Cubans have traveled to Russia to subsequently take part in hostilities in Ukraine. Negrea also placed responsibility on the Cuban authorities, accusing them of failing to protect their own citizens from being used in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The claims were not limited to people from Latin American countries. The meeting also heard allegations that people from the Middle East, Asia, Central Africa and other parts of the world have been recruited to participate in Russia’s special military operation.

British producer Sheida Keiran, who was invited to attend the meeting, claimed that a purported transnational system exists to recruit foreign nationals for service in the Russian military. According to her, recruiters operating in different countries have been identified, while the network allegedly spans several continents.

Keiran estimated that approximately 27,000 foreign combatants have been recruited since 2022. She also called for measures against the channels through which foreign nationals join the Russian Armed Forces.