Russia’s armed forces are using unwitting Yemeni citizens as soldiers in Ukraine, according to a Saturday report by The Financial Times.
Several individuals from the Middle Eastern country told the British newspaper that a Houthi-linked company had promised them high-paying manufacturing jobs in Moscow, along with the potential to gain Russian citizenship. However, upon arrival, they claim they were conscripted into the country’s military and sent to fight on the front lines in Ukraine.
The work contracts reviewed by The Times indicate that the initiative has been underway since at least July and was organized by the Al Jabri Company, a purported tour operator and medical supply firm owned by prominent Houthi official Abdulwali Abdo Hassan al-Jabri.
The employment offers reportedly included a salary of $2,000 a month and a $10,000 bonus.
This revelation follows similar reports of the Kremlin recruiting unemployed men from Cuba, India, Nepal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and Syria to replenish the Russian military’s ranks, frequently presenting the opportunity as private sector employment along with the promise of a Russian passport.
Related Story: Number of Cubans Lured to Fighting for Russia in Ukraine Close to 5,000, Higher Than Media Reports
