Cuba · Ukraine war · United States · 21 October 2026
Published Wednesday, 21 October 2026, 8:11 p.m. ET (8:11 p.m. Havana) · Source: Cuban Foreign Ministry statement, as reported by Cubadebate and CubaHeadlines
Cuba’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday 21 October 2026 that Cuba is not part of the war in Ukraine and has no troops there or anywhere else. It called US claims to the contrary false and said Washington has offered no evidence.
The ministry also gave new figures on court cases against Cubans accused of mercenarism, a crime under Cuban law. The statement adds to the Cuba US tensions we track.
Key Facts
—What happened. Cuba’s Foreign Ministry denied sending fighters to Ukraine and rejected US accusations.
—The numbers. Cuba says 43 people face 12 court cases, up from 40 people in 9 cases in 2025.
—What happens next. Cuba offers to discuss cooperation on mercenary crimes; we found no US reply.
—Why it matters for US readers. In 2025 Washington used the Ukraine claim to lobby against a UN vote on its Cuba embargo.
—Prediction markets. Polymarket gives 8.5% to US military action against Cuba by 31 December (about US$7.6 million traded; 8:08 p.m. ET, 21 October 2026).
—Power Index. Cuba ranks 14th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 22.5 points (October 2026 edition).
In plain English
Some Cubans have gone to fight in Russia’s war on Ukraine, and the United States says Havana lets it happen. Cuba says the state has nothing to do with it and that it prosecutes mercenary crimes.
“Mercenarism” is the legal term Cuba uses for fighting abroad for pay.
What Cuba’s Ministry Said
The ministry, known as Minrex, said Washington keeps spreading “false accusations” without evidence. It said Cuba backs a peaceful solution to the war through dialogue, international law and the UN Charter.
It also said Cubans who fight on either side do so without the encouragement or consent of any state body. Most were recruited abroad, it said, as were fighters of many other nationalities.
The Trial Figures Behind the Denial
Cuba says it has investigated 17 cases involving 49 people since 2023. Of those, 43 people were sent to court in 12 cases (against 9 reported a year earlier), with prosecutors asking for prison terms of 5 to 16 years.
In five cases covering six people, prosecutors dropped the charges for lack of proof, it said. Ten oral trials have been held and two are pending, and courts matched the prosecutors’ requests.
In October 2025 the ministry reported nine court cases against 40 defendants and eight trials. Five of those ended in guilty verdicts against 26 people, with sentences of 5 to 14 years.
What Washington Has Said
The ministry did not name a new US charge in the statement. In October 2025 Reuters reported a State Department cable that said an estimated 1,000 to 5,000 Cubans were fighting in Ukraine.
The cable, dated 2 October 2025, told US diplomats to lobby against a UN resolution to end the US embargo on Cuba. It called Cuba the largest contributor of foreign troops to Russia after North Korea, the Kyiv Independent reported.
What Prediction Markets Say
- Polymarket, “US military action against Cuba by…?”: 8.5% by 31 December 2026 (about US$7.6 million traded).
- Polymarket, “Miguel Díaz-Canel out as leader of Cuba by…?”: 7.0% by 31 December 2026 (about US$2.3 million traded).
Prices as of 8:08 p.m. ET, 21 October 2026. Prices are bets, not polls; Kalshi is regulated in the US by the CFTC.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What It Means for US Readers
The Ukraine charge is one strand of Washington’s wider pressure on Havana, which already shapes what Americans may do on the island. Travellers should watch for new rules, and our guide Can Americans Still Travel to Cuba in 2026? lists the current ones.
More coverage sits on our Cuba news page.
What Is Not Known
No one has published how many Cubans fight in Ukraine, and the ministry gave no total. The trial figures come only from the Cuban government, and we found no independent check of them.
The US figure of 1,000 to 5,000 is an estimate, and we found no new US statement tied to this release.
Sources
Cubadebate (Cuban state media) · CubaHeadlines · Cuban Foreign Ministry, 11 October 2025 · Kyiv Independent · Polymarket
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cuba say it has soldiers in Ukraine?
No. Cuba’s Foreign Ministry says Cuba is not part of the war and has no military personnel there or in any other country. It admits some Cubans fight on their own.
What did Cuba report about mercenary trials?
Cuba says it has investigated 17 cases against 49 people since 2023. Ten oral trials are finished and two are pending, it says.
What did Washington say about Cubans in Ukraine?
A State Department cable of 2 October 2025 said an estimated 1,000 to 5,000 Cubans were fighting in Ukraine, Reuters reported. Cuba rejected the claim.
Is there independent proof either way?
We found none in the sources we reviewed. The figures on trials come from the Cuban government, and the number of Cubans fighting is not known.
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