FT: Houthis help Russia recruit Yemeni mercenaries for war in Ukraine

Russia is recruiting hundreds of Yemeni men to fight in Ukraine through a shadowy trafficking operation, highlighting growing ties between Moscow and the Houthi rebel group, the Financial Times reports.

The Houthi movement, officially known as Ansar Allah, is an anti-US, anti-Semitic Shia Islamist political and military organization that holds de facto control over most of northern Yemen. The movemenent attacks in the Red Sea target commercial vessels, including oil tankers, to disrupt trade and assert influence, using explosive-laden boats, naval mines, and alleged Iranian-supplied missiles. The Houthis have committed severe human rights violations, including child soldier recruitment, detainee abuse, forced marriages, hostage-taking, aid diversion, and repression of women and LGBTQ+ individuals, according to the UN and human rights groups.

The operation underscores Russia’s efforts to avoid full mobilization as casualties rise, with the country also recruiting mercenaries from Nepal and India, while some 12,000 North Korean regular army troops have arrived in Kursk Oblast for combat against Ukrainian forces, FT says.

According to FT, the Yemeni recruits are promised high-paying jobs and Russian citizenship, but upon arrival are forcibly inducted into the Russian army and sent to Ukraine’s front lines with the help of a Houthi-linked company. This mirrors schemes previously used to deceive Indian nationals into fighting against Ukraine.

The Financial Times reports that US special envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking confirmed Russia is engaging with the Houthis, discussing weapons transfers that could enhance their ability to threaten ships in the Red Sea and beyond, with Russian personnel present in Sana’a to support these talks.

The Financial Times revealed that Yemeni recruits, many untrained and tricked into traveling to Russia, were coerced into signing military enlistment contracts upon arrival, with promises of high salaries and citizenship. The operation, linked to a company founded by prominent Houthi politician Abdulwali Abdo Hassan al-Jabri, reportedly began in July. Maged Almadhaji of the Sana’a Center noted Russia’s interest in groups hostile to the US in the Red Sea region, while Ansar Allah politburo member Mohammed al Bukhaiti confirmed ongoing ties with Russian leadership across military, economic, and political domains.

Eleven Yemenis were recently allowed to leave Russia for Yemen via Oman, following pressure from the International Federation of Yemeni Migrants after a public outcry, but hundreds of Yemenis remain in Russia, according to FT sources.

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