Russia plans to recruit at least 27 Yemenis for war against Ukraine

Russian intelligence has identified 27 Yemeni citizens who Russia intends to enlist in its conflict against Ukraine. The Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service reported that Russian military authorities are processing their paperwork, revealing a well-established recruitment process. Lt. Pervushin, the head of a military contract recruitment office in Khanty-Mansiysk, requested the border service to legalize the status of Yemeni citizens in Russia in July 2026.

Russian officials subsequently planned to sign military service contracts with these individuals. The legal framework for this action was established by a decree by Russian leader Vladimir Putin, which introduced a simplified temporary procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship and residence permits. This scheme requires foreigners to first undergo a simplified legalization process in Russia before being recruited for military service.

Ukrainian intelligence identified the Yemeni recruits as men born in 2006 and 2007. In July, Botswana's Ministry of International Relations reported a rise in cases of its citizens being misled into fighting for Russia during the war against Ukraine. According to BBC Russian Service, Mediazona, and volunteer teams, at least 3,589 foreign nationals have been killed while fighting on Russia's side in the conflict.

In early 2026, the U.S. think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies published a report on Russia's Alabuga Start program in Tatarstan, which recruits young women from various countries, including Africa and Latin America. In March, the European Parliament criticized Russia for using human trafficking schemes to recruit foreigners for the war against Ukraine, urging EU countries and the governments of the recruited's countries of origin to strengthen cooperation in investigating such cases, preventing similar schemes, and assisting victims in returning home.