Financial Times: Houthi rebels recruit hundreds of Yemenis to fight against Ukraine

The Houthi rebels, allies of Tehran, have deceptively recruited hundreds of Yemenis to fight against Ukraine at Russia’s request, according to the Financial Times, citing Yemeni mercenaries. 

The recruits were promised high-paying jobs and Russian citizenship, but were forcibly sent to the front lines upon arrival.

“The appearance of the ragtag group of – mainly involuntary – Yemeni mercenaries in Ukraine shows how the conflict is increasingly sucking in soldiers from abroad as casualties rise and the Kremlin tries to avoid a full mobilization,” the article states.

Since July, Russians have recruited at least 200 people, the publication reports. Recruitment was carried out through a company registered in Oman with ties to the Yemeni Houthis.

One of the sources, Abdullah, told FT that he was promised a one-time payment of $10,000 and a monthly salary of $2,000 to work in a drone production facility. 

After arriving in Moscow in September, Abdullah and the other Yemenis were transported to a facility located five hours outside the Russian capital. When the group refused to sign contracts, a Russian man fired a gun above their heads to force compliance, Abdullah recounted.

U.S. diplomats have noted that the Kremlin’s alliance with the Houthis, which would have been unthinkable before the war in Ukraine, shows just how far Russia is willing to go to expand the war into new regions, including the Middle East.

In September, reports indicated that Russia had been holding secret talks with the Yemeni Houthis to provide them with anti-ship missiles, with Iran acting as an intermediary in the negotiations.