ON Ukraine’s bloody frontline, Russian soldiers face certain death as they are poured into Vladimir Putin’s meatgrinder war every day.
But as his population dwindles amid increasingly barbaric attacks, he looks abroad to replenish his ranks – by trafficking foreign workers and using them as frontline fodder.
In Cuba, families face being ripped apart as young men are lured to Putin’s regime under the false promise of safe and well-paid jobs.
One devastated parent told The Sun she had not heard from her son since March 2024 – after he took a “carpentry” job contract in Russia.
Mario Alexey Góngora Hechavarría, 30, headed to Russia for a supposedly safe job in September 2023, leaving behind his 11-year-old daughter.
His heartbroken mum Niurka, 57, from Las Tunas in eastern Cuba, recalls his harrowing final message to her.
She said: “He told me if he didn’t contact me again, it was because they were taking him on a mission to the war in Ukraine.
“I told him I didn’t understand what sort of mission, and he lied to me, saying it would be in the mountains to chop wood.
“I know he did it so I wouldn’t worry, but the concern right now is terrible for me and my family.”
She added: “Since he left Cuba, my life has been over… the family is devastated.
“I’m stuck because he left me his daughter, and I have to get up every day and fight for her.”
But Mario isn’t the only victim of mad Vlad’s devious trafficking schemes.
Moscow has recruited a “large number of Cubans” into its ranks, according to warfare expert Nick Reynolds.
Kyiv says as many as 20,000 Cubans could be fighting for Putin’s war machine – while US intelligence claims the number is closer to 5,000.
Reynolds confirmed that many are misled by false advertising – signing up for inconspicuous roles before being forced into the frontline.
He told The Sun: “Some of the Cuban volunteers have since claimed that they were recruited under false pretences, including for civilian jobs unrelated to the military.”
Many foreigners have also accused Moscow of sending them to the battlefield – despite being promised non-combat roles at first, the expert added.
Ukraine says only 1,000 Cubans have signed military contracts with Russia – indicating that thousands of others have potentially been tricked into fighting.
Kyiv also claims at least 40 Cubans have been killed in Putin’s war, while 250 have been forced to stay in the army after their contracts expired.
Reynolds said Russia’s two-faced adverts were also combined with alluring “financial incentives” to entice unsuspecting workers from across the globe.
Meanwhile Russia expert Natalie Sabadadze warned Moscow’s shady recruitment process was “highly predatory”.
Since Cuba is a poor and isolated country, many locals are incentivised to chase beefed-up salaries offered by Putin’s regime.
Promised wages to go and fight are reportedly valued at around $2,000 per month – a stark contrast to Cuba’s average monthly wage of about $20.
Sabadadze said: “I mean, this is basically a meat grinder… they don’t promise them to go get themselves into a meat grinder.”
Putin’s ability to recruit such a large number of Cubans compared to other nations is based on the “legacy relationship” between the two countries, she added.
“Russia has very close ties with Cuba that go back to the Soviet Union, and that legacy has continued,” Sabadadze said.
Cubans currently do not need a visa to travel to Russia, making the trip there easy – and even enticing when paired with the prospect of possible Russian citizenship.
The expert detailed another crucial factor that allows Putin’s predatory hands to reach South America.
Revealing the extent of Russia’s propaganda machine, Sabanadze explained how Putin’s influence “is extremely effective and widespread” in Latin America.
She said: “Russian channels are all very active and have some of the highest audience [numbers].
“This also helps to spread the message and to convince people that maybe they’re going to fight on the right side.”
Reynolds also revealed that a large number of Russia’s recruits are coming from a range of Asian and African countries, including China, India and Zimbabwe.
But he highlighted their small role in comparison to Russian nationals – claiming foreign forces were probably limited to a few tens of thousands.
Russia is therefore not reliant on these overseas forces yet, he added.
Sabadadze also warned of the terrible conditions some of these recruits are subjected to when fighting in Putin’s army.
She said: “Russia’s military is notorious for its abuses of its own people… let alone records for other countries which they don’t respect very much.”
Sabanadze claimed there was an element of “racial superiority” and “all sorts of prejudice” against foreigners in the Russian army.
“There is no protection,” she said.
“The treatment that they’re going to get is going to be very, very bad.”
The expert also pointed out the difference between Cuba and North Korea.
Although Kim Jong-un has ordered tens of thousands of men to fight for his pal Putin, Cuba’s government claims its citizens in Russia have personally signed up or been trafficked.
Despite experts shedding light on how Putin’s ruthless recruitment machine works – thousands of Cuban parents are still in the dark over their children’s whereabouts.
Heartbroken Niurka said she had been left powerless amid the tragic situation.
She warned others of Putin’s games, and pleaded with other Cubans to not go to Russia.
“Only God knows what I’m going through, and every day of my life I ask myself so many questions with no answers, and it drives me crazy,” she said.
The devastated mum added: “We have so many questions, and we are so far away that we can’t do anything.
“We are a very humble family and don’t have the resources to travel to Russia to find answers.”
Russia in ‘phase zero’ of WW3
VLADIMIR Putin’s shadow war on the West is already under way as the Kremlin has entered what military experts call “Phase Zero”.
It means Vlad is layering his ominous groundwork for a future conflict with Nato, as his tentacles spread across Europe through espionage, sabotage, drones, and unmarked troops.
The chilling warning comes from the respected Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
It says Moscow is now in the “informational and psychological condition-setting phase” of a potential showdown with the Alliance.
Analysts say the writing is on the wall and Russia may strike sooner than expected.
According to Eastern European outlet Nexta, the Kremlin is already gaining significant experience in modern warfare.
It could also launch new aggression without waiting for its army to fully recover from the war in Ukraine — a sign Moscow may strike sooner than Western intelligence expects.
The Kremlin is adapting, building reserves, refining tactics and learning from the bloodbath in Ukraine.
