Russia is recruiting hundreds of mercenaries from Yemen via a mysterious Houthi-linked company to fight its war against Ukraine, according to a report. These men are reportedly brought to Russia by a shady trafficking operation.
Just like how Indians and Nepalis were lured into Russia's war machine, the Yemenis too are being promised Russian citizenship and high salaried employment, according to the Financial Times. On arrival in Russia, they are forcibly inducted into the Russian army before being sent to the front lines in Ukraine.
This comes as reports claim over 12,000 North Korean men have arrived in Russia to combat against Ukrainian forces in the Russian province of Kursk.
Russia's move also hints at the Kremlin's growing closeness with Iran and its proxy militant groups in the Middle East. The recruitment from Yemen is more like an overture to Moscow as part of an effort to build links to Russia, according to a regional expert. The US special envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking too confirmed Russia is actively pursuing contacts with the Houthis and discussing weapons transfers. So much so that the weapons being discussed are very alarming, helping Houthis to change power equations in the Middle East.
"Many of the Yemeni mercenaries who are in Russia do not want to be there and only few of them have any kind of training," Farea al Muslimi, an expert on the Gulf region at Chatham House, told Financial Times. "One thing Russia needs is soldiers, and it’s clear the Houthis are recruiting, [for them]. Yemen is a pretty easy place to recruit. It is a very poor country," Muslimi said.
The contracts signed by the Yemenis are listed under a Oman-based company founded by a prominent Houthi politician. The company identifies it as a tour operator and retail supplier of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals. The recruitment is said to have started as early as July.
One recruit, identified as Nabil, told the Financial Times that he was part of a group of 200 Yemenis and arrived in Russia in September. He alleged that they were tricked into travelling to Russia and signed enlistment contracts they could not read. He said they were offered jobs in "security" and "engineering".
He claimed he was taken along with other Yemenis to a forest in Ukraine dressed in Russian military fatigues, their faces masked by scarves.
Another recruit shared a video with the Financial Times wherein he claimed to be under constant bombardment. He added how they were tasked to carry wooden planks through a mine-infested forest, apparently to build a bomb shelter. "We don’t even get five minutes to rest, we are so tired," he added.
Another recruit said he was promised a $10,000 bonus and $2,000 per month, plus eventual Russian citizenship, to work in Russia manufacturing drones. On arrival in Moscow, he was taken to a facility five hours from Moscow. There, they were forced to sign a contract by a man, speaking in simple Arabic, who fired a pistol over their head. They were then taken on buses to Ukraine.
They were only given rudimentary military training before being sent to a military base near the Ukrainian border. Many of the original group of arrivals died in Ukraine while some attempted suicide, the man added.