The British newspaper “Financial Times” reported that Russia is recruiting mercenaries from Yemen, Nepal, and Somalia for the war in Ukraine, enticing them with promises of well-paid jobs and citizenship, only to force them into frontline service.
According to reports, Yemeni Houthi fighters are encouraged to travel to Russia under the guise of employment in sectors like “security” and “engineering.” However, upon arrival, they are forcibly conscripted into the army and sent to the front lines. The recruits’ contracts are connected to a company—founded by influential Houthi politician Abdulwali Abdo Hassan al-Jabri—officially registered as a tour operator and supplier of medical equipment.
The “Financial Times” interviewed a Yemeni who found himself in a group of about 200 people conscripted into the Russian army in September. After a few weeks in Ukraine, he managed to escape with several other newly arrived Houthis and hide in the forest. He reported that one of his companions attempted suicide and was taken to the hospital.
Russia is also recruiting mercenaries from other countries. In the summer of 2023, it was revealed that citizens of Nepal who came to Russia for educational purposes are being recruited to fight against Ukraine. The financial promises are the main factor driving them to take up service. In response to these actions, Nepalese authorities issued an official statement in December of last year, calling on Moscow to stop recruiting their citizens and to return the bodies of those killed on the front.
Similar cases involve citizens of Somalia. In early January 2024, the Ukrainian Armed Forces captured Muhammad Adil, a Somali mercenary in the Russian army. As reported by Ukrainian media in May, he came to Russia in search of work and, after seeing a Russian army advertisement on December 3, 2023, signed a contract. By January 4, 2024, he was on the front line in Ukraine.
