With Deceptive Promises… Houthis “Recruit” Yemenis to Fight in Ukraine

26th November 2024

3 minutes read

With Deceptive Promises... Houthis "Recruit" Yemenis to Fight in Ukraine

High-paying jobs, lucrative salaries, and even a new nationality: this is how the Houthis’ organized fraud begins, creating a “human fuel mix” for wars beyond borders.

This was reported by the British newspaper Financial Times, which uncovered mysterious operations where Houthis allegedly recruit Yemenis for the Russian army to fight in Ukraine.

The newspaper quoted Yemeni recruits who traveled to Russia, saying they were promised well-paying jobs and even Russian nationality. Upon arrival, assisted by a company linked to the Houthis, they were reportedly forcibly recruited and sent to Ukraine’s front lines.

The contracts signed by the Yemenis, reviewed by the British newspaper, involve a company founded by Abdelwali Abdu Hassan Al-Jabri, a prominent Houthi politician.

This company, registered as a tourism enterprise and a supplier of medical equipment and drugs, played a central role in this operation.

According to Financial Times, the Houthi recruitment began as early as last July. The newspaper said it had seen a recruitment contract dated July 3, signed by the head of a soldier selection center in Nizhny Novgorod.

200 Recruits

One of the recruits, a man named Nabil, who exchanged messages with Financial Times, estimated he was part of a group of about 200 Yemenis recruited into the Russian army in September after arriving in Moscow.

Although some were experienced fighters, most had no military training.

Nabil, who requested anonymity, said they were tricked into traveling to Russia and coerced into signing contracts they could not read.

The recruits were lured with promises of lucrative jobs in fields such as security or engineering, hoping to earn enough to continue their studies.

Weeks after his arrival, Nabil and four other Yemenis found themselves in Ukraine, in a forest, dressed in military uniforms bearing Russian insignia, with their faces covered by scarves.

In a video shared with the newspaper, one man recounted: “We are under fire. There are mines, drones, and we are digging shelters.” A comrade reportedly attempted suicide and was hospitalized.

In another video, it was revealed they were carrying wooden planks through a mine-laden forest, apparently to build bomb shelters.

Days later, another message revealed they lacked winter clothing. Nabil’s uncle, who lives in Britain, confirmed last week that his nephew was injured and hospitalized but could not provide further details.

Other Promises

Abdullah, another Yemeni recruit, testified that he was promised a $10,000 reward, a $2,000 monthly salary, and eventual Russian citizenship to work in Russia manufacturing drones.

Abdullah, who arrived in Moscow on September 18, said his group was forcibly taken from the airport to a facility five hours away. There, a man speaking broken Arabic allegedly fired a gun above their heads to force them to sign a recruitment contract written in Russian.

“I signed it because I was scared,” he said. They were later bused to Ukraine, received basic military training, and sent to a base near Rostov, on the border.

According to Abdullah, many members of the initial group were killed in Ukraine. He concluded: “They were brought by human traffickers. It was all lies.”

Strategic Implications

American diplomats stated that the alliance between the Kremlin and the Houthis, previously unthinkable before the Ukraine war, shows how far Russia is willing to go to expand this conflict into new regions, including the Middle East.

Majed Al-Madhaji, director of the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies, said that Russia is also interested in any group in the Red Sea or the Middle East hostile to the United States.

He added that the Houthis organize these mercenaries as part of their efforts to strengthen ties with Russia.