Russia and the Recruitment of Foreign Citizens for the Ukraine War; This Time, the Houthis of Yemen

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, has repeatedly claimed that the Russian army does not need 'foreign mercenaries' to fight in Ukraine. However, there is ample evidence of citizens from Serbia, Cuba, Syria, and some Central Asian and African countries fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine; Ukraine reports clashes with North Korean soldiers, and the Indian Prime Minister personally requested that the Russian President stop sending citizens of India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka to the front lines in Ukraine. In a recent development, the Financial Times reported that Russia has deceived hundreds of Yemeni citizens to fight against Ukraine through a company linked to the Iran-backed Houthis. Additionally, the Independent reported that Russia is recruiting forces trained by the international coalition to fight the Taliban in Iran and Afghanistan to fight against Ukraine. Western intelligence agencies estimate that nearly one million military personnel from both sides have been killed or injured in the nearly three years of Russia's war against Ukraine. The Kremlin is simultaneously trying to avoid announcing general conscription, fearing that such a move could lead to widespread discontent. In recent days, a 20-year-old Sri Lankan youth who was captured by the Ukrainian army recounted his story to reporters. According to him, economic turmoil in his country led him to seek work abroad. A recruitment agency offered him a job at a Russian factory and helped him sign a contract. However, after three months, this contract was terminated, while his residency permit was conditional on continuing work at this factory. At this juncture, a representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense suggested that this Sri Lankan citizen 'help' Russian forces fight against Ukraine; according to this report, the official said, 'You either fight and earn a high salary and then receive Russian citizenship, or you will be imprisoned or deported for violating residency laws in Russia.' So far, dozens of reports have been published about Russia's attempts to recruit foreign citizens to fight in Ukraine, all describing similar methods. The exact number of foreign citizens among Russian forces has not been disclosed, but Bloomberg reported this summer, citing Western intelligence officials, that 'thousands' of foreign workers and students in Russia have been 'forced' to sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense; according to this report, 'two options have been presented to all of them: fight or be detained and deported.' However, alongside the stick, a carrot has also been offered. Recently, the British Ministry of Defense's intelligence agency presented an example of a brochure published in English inviting foreign citizens to join 'special military units of the Russian armed forces' in exchange for Russian citizenship, free education and healthcare, and a monthly salary of $2,200. Last spring, the Russian President signed a decree for the expedited issuance of Russian citizenship for individuals who sign a one-year contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense. Peter Yatsenyuk, spokesman for the coordination headquarters for Ukrainian war prisoners in Kyiv, told reporters that most foreign citizens fighting alongside Russian forces come from poor countries and are seeking money. It is reported that the Russian Ministry of Defense promises a salary between $2,000 to $3,000 for a one-year war contract, claiming that foreign citizens will serve as support forces and will not be sent to the front lines. At the same time, according to the spokesman for the coordination headquarters for Ukrainian war prisoners, professional mercenaries are also seen. The dispatch of dual citizens, primarily those with Russian and a Central Asian country passport, has been officially confirmed. Last summer, Alexander Bastrykin, head of the Russian Investigative Committee, explicitly stated that about 10,000 dual citizens have been sent to the front lines in Ukraine. Meanwhile, since the beginning of Russia's war against Ukraine, the governments of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan have repeatedly warned their citizens against signing contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense, stating that fighting in Ukraine is considered 'mercenary activity,' which is a criminal offense in all these countries. The government of Nepal has banned any hiring and work missions in Russia for its citizens for over a year and has officially requested that the Russian government not send Nepalese citizens to fight in Ukraine. It has been reported that 18 individuals who were deceiving Nepalese citizens on behalf of the Russian Ministry of Defense have been arrested in Kathmandu. In New Delhi, four individuals have been arrested on similar charges. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced during a visit to Moscow last summer that he had agreed with Vladimir Putin to bring back Indian citizens who had been sent to the front lines in Ukraine. At the same time, the investigative publication Vorstka, citing statistics from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, reported that the number of work permits issued for citizens of India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka in Russia during the first nine months of this year has tripled compared to the previous year, and for citizens of Bangladesh, it has increased 35 times. The only government that has officially agreed to send its soldiers to Russia is North Korea, and under a comprehensive cooperation agreement between Moscow and Pyongyang, several thousand North Korean soldiers are set to be 'trained' in Russia. Ukrainian officials state that the first encounter of Ukrainian forces with North Korean soldiers was in the Kursk region of Russia. Russia is now preparing a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Iran, and the Russian Foreign Minister emphasized that military cooperation between the two countries will be an important part of this document. According to the British newspaper Financial Times, Russia has deceived hundreds of Yemenis to fight alongside Russian soldiers against Ukraine through a company linked to the Ansar Allah. Some of them told the British newspaper that they were promised high-paying jobs and Russian citizenship, but upon arriving in Russia, they were forcibly sent to the front lines. A Yemeni citizen named Abdullah told the Financial Times that he was promised a job at a drone manufacturing factory, receiving $10,000 upfront and then a monthly salary of $2,000, but he and his companions were forced to sign a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense in Moscow. He said that an individual representing the Russian Ministry of Defense shot above their heads to compel them to comply. According to the Financial Times, the International Federation of Yemeni Migrants, which requested the Yemeni government to prevent the 'deceptive dispatch of Yemenis to Russia,' helped Abdullah and 10 other Yemenis travel from Russia to Oman. The company that sent the Yemenis to Russia belongs to Abdulwali Abdu Hassan al-Jabri, a prominent politician from the Houthis of Yemen. According to the report, the recruitment of Yemenis likely began in early last summer. The Independent, in collaboration with investigative reporters from Lighthouse Reports and the Afghan publication Etemad-e-Roz, which is now operating from Washington, interviewed dozens of individuals in Iran and Afghanistan who had previously been trained by British soldiers to fight the Taliban and found that all of them were offered to fight alongside the Russian army against Ukraine. According to the report, Russia's first attempt to recruit Afghan forces in Iran occurred last year, and now a second wave is underway. The Independent reported that since former members of Afghanistan's special guard are facing death threats from the Taliban, they are working under dire conditions in Iran, and London has not made a definitive decision to relocate these allies to the UK, making Moscow's offers seem 'attractive.' However, it is said that none of these forces have 'accepted this offer so far.' According to the report, a former military doctor named Mustafa went to the Russian embassy in Tehran 'to negotiate the recruitment process for 200 members of the former special guard of Afghanistan trained by Britain, and the Russians agreed to pay $3,000 per month for each.' Kir Giles, a Russia and Eurasia expert at Chatham House, told the Independent: 'Russia is looking for soldiers wherever it can to avoid announcing conscription within the country, and Afghanis with training and combat experience are obviously attractive to Russian recruiters.' According to this expert, 'We see that North Korea has sent not only weapons and munitions but also human resources to support Russia at the front, and we should not be surprised if other Russian allies, primarily Iran, support Russia in the same way, especially if by recruiting citizens from other countries, Iran can deny its intervention.' Tehran has helped Moscow launch thousands of Shahed drones against Ukrainian cities, and evidence has emerged of Iranian-made munitions and military equipment used by Russia against Ukraine. At the same time, Iranian officials have consistently claimed that Tehran is neutral in Russia's war against Ukraine.