After North Koreans, is Russia recruiting Yemenis to fight in Ukraine?

Russia has duped hundreds of Yemeni men into fighting its war against Ukraine, according to a report.

This makes Yemenis the latest bunch of foreign fighters that Russia has roped in to fight Ukraine. So far, Russia has deployed up to 10,000 North Korean soldiers and several Indian and Nepali nationals —some of them fraudulently— to fight its war against Ukraine.

The Financial Times has reported that Russia has recruited hundreds of Yemeni men to fight in Ukraine via a Houthi general’s company on the false pretext of providing civilian jobs and even citizenship.

Similar promises were made to Indian men who were fraudulently recruited by Russia to fight in Ukraine.

Houthi commander recruits Yemenis for Russia: Report

Yemeni men recruited by Russia were contracted by a company registered in Oman, according to FT.

The newspaper reported that an Oman-based company, Al Jabri General Trading & Investment Co SPC, founded by Abdulwali Abdo Hassan al-Jabri, recruited these men. Al-Jabri is a well-known Houthi politician and commander.

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The newspaper reported a recruit named Nabil as saying that the company, which describes itself as a tour and retail supplier of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals, employed people on the pretext of providing jobs in “security” and “engineering” sectors. He said that he was part of a batch of 200 men recruited by the company in September. The newspaper reported that the recruitment began as early as in July.

Once they arrived in Russia, they were shipped to Ukraine’s forests to fight in the war.

“We are under bombardment. Mines, drones, digging bunkers,” the newspaper reported one of the men as saying in a video he shared.

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The men in the video said they were carrying wooden planks through a mine-infested forest, reported the newspaper.

What do warming Houthi-Russia ties mean?

Russia’s recruitment of Yemeni men in the war against Ukraine is the latest sign of growing synergy between Russia and Iran — Houthis are backed by Iran and are part of the anti-Israel and anti-US ‘Axis of Resistance’ in West Asia.

For its war on Ukraine, Russia has procured armed drones from Iran to attack Ukraine throughout the war. The partnership is part of a broader bloc comprising Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea . These nations not just aid each-other in conflicts but are also working together as an anti-West bloc.

While Iran has provided armed drones to Russia, North Korea has been said to have provided Russia with missiles and ammunition and China has also been accused of providing drones and a host of dual-use technology. As Western sanctions affected Russia’s imports and exports, China came to its rescue and has acquired a critical role in keeping its economy afloat .

It is not just these parties that have aided Russia, but Russia has also aided them. There have been reports that Houthis have been procuring small arms and advanced missiles from Russia. These talks have reportedly been brokered by Iran and involve well-known arms dealer Viktor Bout, infamously known as ‘Merchant of Death’ .