Houthis at war: How Russia is deceiving foreigners for the war in Ukraine: exposure from the Financial Times

Russia is using deception and threats to recruit foreign citizens to fight against Ukraine, including residents of poorer countries such as Yemen. According to Financial Times, Hundreds of Yemenis have been drawn into the war against Ukraine through companies linked to the Houthi rebel group.

“They were lured with promises of work, but in reality they were sent to the front lines,” the investigation says.

Key facts about Yemeni recruitment

• Who is behind the scheme?

  Recruitment organization is associated with the company Al Jabri General Trading & Investment Co SPCwhich is officially registered as a tour operator and supplier of medical equipment. Its founder is Houthi politician Abdulwali Abdo Hassan al-Jabri, who was previously sentenced to death in absentia in Yemen.

• What do they promise?

  Yemenis were offered high salaries (up to $2,000 per month), bonuses ($10,000) and Russian citizenship for work in the fields of security, engineering and even drone production.

• Reality:

  Upon arrival in Russia, foreigners were forced to sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense at gunpoint. They received minimal training and were sent to the Ukrainian front without proper uniforms and supplies.

Yemenis on the front lines: stories of participants

“They promised a job, but sent them to war”

Nabil (name changed) said that about 200 Yemenis were drafted into the Russian army with him. “We were deceived. We dug trenches under fire, without food or rest. One of us tried to commit suicide,” shares Nabil. He is currently in hospital after being wounded.

“I was forced to sign a contract under threat”

Abdullah (not his real name) accepted a job offer in the drone industry. However, after arriving in Moscow, his group was forcibly taken away at gunpoint. Having signed a contract in Russian, they found themselves on the front line in Ukraine.

How Russia exploits poverty and despair

Expert Chatham House Fares al-Muslimi notes that Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the world, where the population is easily swayed by promises of financial stability. Russia, avoiding general mobilization, is actively recruiting soldiers abroad, including Nepal, India and Sri Lanka.

The Houthis' role in the scheme

The Iran-backed Houthi rebel group plays a major role in the recruitment scheme. Russia, according to Financial Timesprovided the Houthis with intelligence and discussed weapons supplies, including anti-ship missiles. American Special Representative for Yemen Tim Lenderking confirmed that cooperation between the Kremlin and the Houthis is deepening:
“We know that the Russian military is present in Sanaa, negotiating with the Houthis. This is deeply worrying.”

Why is this important for Israel and Ukraine?

Russia's increased cooperation with Middle Eastern factions such as the Houthis poses new threats to regional security, including the Red Sea. It also demonstrates the Kremlin's willingness to involve international forces in the Ukrainian conflict.

On the website “NAnews – Israel News” we regularly cover such aspects, emphasizing how events in Ukraine and the Middle East are interconnected.

Results: a global problem

Russia is exploiting the desperate plight of people in the poorest countries to continue its war in Ukraine. The scheme involving the Houthis reveals a new side of the conflict, showing how the Kremlin is ready to go to any lengths to avoid mobilization.

* “Yemeni recruits have become victims of deception and human trafficking, organized at the highest level,” summarizes Financial Times.

For Israel and the Jewish diaspora, this is another signal to realize the need for active confrontation destabilizing initiatives of the Kremlin, affecting not only Ukraine, but also the Middle East.

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