A Cuban man promised a job as a driver in Russia was instead trained to fight Ukraine: 'We signed a contract with the devil'

• A Cuban man was lured into Russia's military after being promised a job as a driver, per Politico.
• He told the outlet that he had considered fleeing but wouldn't know where to go if he did.

A Cuban man was recruited into the Russian military after being promised a job as a driver for workers and construction materials in Russia, Politico Europe reported.

The man, named only as Pedro, said that after arriving in Russia for his new job he was instead prepared for combat.

"We signed a contract with the devil. And the devil does not hand out sweets," Pedro told the outlet.

Pedro wasn't alone. Politico reported that other Cubans were recruited alongside Pedro. After landing in Russia, they underwent a cursory medical check and were given a contract with the Russian defense ministry to sign, some of the men told Politico.

Pedro said he regretted his decision, adding he had taken the driver job in Russia to give his children "a better life, not to kill."

He burst into tears, the outlet reported, adding: "I won't fire a single bullet."

He also told Politico that he had considered fleeing but wouldn't know where to go if he did.

The exact number of Cubans recruited to fight in Russia's army is unclear. The Miami-based Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba (FHRC) told Time magazine earlier this month that more than 1,000 Cubans may have been recruited.

The magazine said recruits were offered 204,000 rubles, or $2,120 US dollars, to sign up.

A legal advisor in Russia's Cuban community told Politico that he had received a number of pleas for help from Cubans. But he told the outlet that leaving the Russian military after signing a contract is considered treason.

Treason can now be punished by up to 20 years in prison after Russian lawmakers increased the maximum term from 15 years in April.

Politico said it changed the names of the recruits quoted because they could face charges of treason and espionage in Russia, and of joining a mercenary group back in Cuba.

In a statement published earlier this month, Cuban authorities said anyone involved in the recruitment of Cubans to fight with Russia against Ukraine would be considered mercenaries.

Another of the recruits interviewed by Politico said that after failing to reach Miami in a rickety boat last year he signed up to fight for Russia in Ukraine. "If this is the sacrifice I have to make for my family to get ahead, I'll do it," he said.

He told the outlet that he hoped he would be allowed to work as a paramedic.

But Pavel Luzin, a senior scholar at the Centre for European Policy Analysis, told Politico that Russia "needs the cannon fodder" after its army suffered significant casualties in Ukraine.