Russia luring and coercing Yemenis into fighting in Ukraine — Financial Times

Russia has recruited hundreds of Yemenis to take part in the war in Ukraine, The Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing contracts signed by the mercenaries as well as several of the fighters themselves.

According to the outlet, the men were lured to Russia by a Houthi-linked company called Al Jabri General Trading & Investment Co SPC, which promised them high salaried jobs and Russian citizenship. However, upon arriving in the country, they were reportedly coerced into signing contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry and sent to the front. Documents reviewed by the FT indicate Moscow’s recruitment of Yemenis began at least as early as July 2024.

One of the mercenaries told journalists that he came to Russia after being offered work in the “security” or “engineering” fields, and that he’d planned to use his earnings to complete his education.

Another man said that he was promised a job producing drones, but when he arrived in Moscow in September, he and the other Yemenis from his flight were taken from the airport to a facility five hours away. When they refused to sign military contracts, he said, a man fired a pistol over their heads. He described the people who lured him to Russia as “scammers who traffic in human beings.”