Hundreds of Yemeni men were reportedly forced to fight in Ukraine under false promises of jobs and Russian citizenship. Contracts obtained by the Financial Times show a connection between the Houthi and the Kremlin with a trafficking network.
The Russian military recruited hundreds of Yemeni men, many through coercive means, to fight in the war in Ukraine.
Recruits, lured by promises of high salaries and Russian citizenship, are forced carrying out military service upon his arrival in Russia, says , which points to the ties between Moscow and Yemen’s Houthi rebel groupa militia supported by Iran, as being at the origin of the trafficking network.
Some recruits, who spoke to the newspaper, described a process of duplicity that involved a company linked to the Houthi that facilitated their travel to Russia under false pretenses. Once in Russia, they were integrated into Putin’s army and sent to the Ukrainian front lines. Many had no military training and were misled about the nature of their employment, with some being tricked into signing contracts they could not even read.
The contracts analyzed by the Financial Times revealed the involvement of Al Jabri General Trading & Investment, a company linked to Abdulwali Abdo Hassan al-Jabri, a “prominent Houthi politician”. The company, registered in Oman as a tour operator and medicine supplier, is accused of facilitating the recruitment scheme.
The newspaper collected harrowing testimonies who report coercion, mistreatment and precarious conditions on the battlefield.
Nabil, one of the recruits who spoke to the FT, said he was part of a group of 200 Yemenis recruited into the Russian army in September. Deceived by promises of jobs in areas such as “security and engineering”, they found themselves pushed into the forests of Ukraine, under bombing and difficult conditions.
Another recruit, Abdullah, was promised financial rewards and Russian citizenship and was forcibly recruited into the Kremlin’s military service. “I signed because I was scared“, said Abdullah.
He and a small group of Yemeni recruits were recently repatriated to Yemen, thanks to pressure from the International Federation of Yemeni Migrants. However, hundreds of Yemeni recruits will remain in Russia.
With more and more military casualties, Russia shows itself increasingly dependent on foreign soldiers to reinforce their ranks. Reports suggest that mercenaries from Nepal, India and North Korea have joined the conflict, with the nation led by Kim Jong-un contributing around .
American diplomats have previously warned of growing collaboration between Russia and the Houthis, including discussions about arms transfers that could further destabilize the region.
“We know that there are Russian personnel in Sana’a [capital do Iémen] to help deepen this dialogue,” said a US special envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking: “The types of weapons being discussed are very alarming and would allow the Houthis to better target shipping in the Red Sea and possibly beyond. ”
“One thing Russia needs is soldiers and it is clear that the Houthis are recruiting them,” said Farea al Muslimi, an expert on the Gulf region at Chatham House, describing it as an overture to Moscow. “Yemen is a very easy place to recruit. It is a very poor country.”
