Russia has recruited hundreds of Yemeni Houthis to fight against Ukraine - Financial Times
Russia has recruited hundreds of Yemenis to participate in hostilities against Ukraine.
This is stated in the Financial Times article, Censor.NET reports with reference to Ukrinform.
According to the Yemeni men, they were promised high-paying jobs and Russian citizenship. However, when they arrived in Russia, they were forcibly recruited into the Russian army and sent to the front line in Ukraine.
According to American diplomats, the rapprochement between the Kremlin and the Houthis is a sign of how far Russia is willing to go in its war against Ukraine.
Faria al-Muslimi, an expert on the Gulf region at the London-based non-governmental organization Chatham House, said that few Yemeni mercenaries have any training, and many of them do not want to fight in Ukraine.
"The only thing Russia needs are soldiers, and it is obvious that the Houthis are recruiting (them - Ed.). Yemen is a fairly easy place to recruit. It's a very poor country," he said.
The military contracts signed by the Yemenis, which were reviewed by the FT, name a company founded by prominent Houthi politician Abdulwali Abdo Hassan al-Jabri. Registered in Oman, Al Jabri is identified in its registration documents as a tour operator and retail supplier of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals.
It is noted that the recruitment of Yemeni soldiers could have begun as early as July this year. One of the contracts is dated July 3 and signed by the head of the contract recruitment center in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod.
According to one of these recruits, he was part of a group of about 200 Yemenis who were drafted into the Russian army in September. He said that Yemeni citizens were tricked into coming to Russia and signing contracts for military service that they could not read.
Another Yemeni man said he was promised a $10,000 bonus and a $2,000 per month salary, as well as possible Russian citizenship, for working in Russia to produce drones.
