Russian Telegram channels acknowledged on February 4-5, 2026, that Cuba is lost as a sphere of influence, amid reports of failed takeovers in Syria, Venezuela, Moldova, and Romania. The statements emerged during the reporting window from 11:16 PM UTC on February 4 to 2:16 AM UTC on February 5, according to a post by Jay Kyiv on X. The X post from Jay Kyiv, shared via https://x.com/JayinKyiv/status/2019158748649123844, stated that Russian Telegram channels are accepting Cuba's loss, listing Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, and failed takeovers in Moldova and Romania as examples of Putin losing the empire. It described Cuba as a Russian colony since 1960. No official statements from Russian government sources or the Putin administration confirmed these Telegram channel reports during the three-hour window.
