Russia Slams U.S. Arrest Warrant for Cuba’s Raúl Castro

Oct. 20, 2026 Raul Сastro. Presidencia de El Salvador Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned a Florida arrest warrant for 95-year-old former Cuban President Raúl Castro over a 1996 military shoot-down of two civilian planes manned by anti-Castro pilots. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Monday that a state judge had approved an arrest warrant charging Castro with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. The charges are connected to the Feb. 24, 1996, shooting down of two civilian aircraft operated by the humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue. Castro, the younger brother of the late revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, was Cuba’s defense minister at the time. “Raúl Castro ordered the murder of four Floridians in cold blood,” Uthmeier said in a statement. Russia’s Foreign Ministry expressed “categorical rejection and decisive condemnation” of the arrest warrant. “Bringing a baseless and contrived accusation more than 30 years later looks like nothing other than an act of vengeance by the anti-Cuban lobby in Miami,” the ministry said. The Foreign Ministry warned that Washington’s legal actions against Cuba risked provoking wider regional instability. Monday’s arrest warrant comes after the Trump administration issued a federal indictment against Castro in May over the same airplane shoot-down. At the time, the Kremlin called the U.S. indictment “bordering on violence.” The Cuban government said that the 1996 shoot-down was “legitimate self-defense” against an airspace violation. Four people died in the incident. Cuba, an ally of Russia going back to the Soviet period, has faced widespread fuel shortages and recurring blackouts in recent months as U.S. President Donald Trump has ramped up pressure on the country, including through a blockade on fuel imports. Trump has vowed to conduct a “friendly takeover” of Cuba if authorities in Havana do not undertake a series of sweeping political and economic reforms that would greatly favor the United States. In March, Russia sent an oil tanker to Cuba to provide what it called humanitarian assistance, effectively defying the U.S. blockade. Trump said at the time that he was not opposed to shipments of oil to Cuba, including from Russia, despite his own administration tightening economic sanctions on the island as part of his “maximum pressure” strategy. AFP contributed reporting. Read more about: Cuba , Foreign Ministry , United States Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Russia Blasts U.S. Reinstatement of Cuba on Terror List Russia's Foreign Ministry called the move unjustified because Cuba is an active participant in "international cooperation on counterterrorism." 1 Min read Moscow Slams Planned Ukraine Peace Summit as U.S. 'Project' The high-level summit will be held in Switzerland on June 15-16, with Swiss media saying U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to attend. 1 Min read Russia Summons U.S. Envoy for ‘Harsh Talks’ on New Sanctions The Foreign Ministry vowed that Russia's retaliation to the sanctions would be “inevitable.” Russia Demands Its Flag Returns to Seized Consulate Flagpole Russia’s Foreign Ministry has demanded the United States return the Russian flag that was flown from the seized consulate in Seattle.