Russia lures Yemenis with cash incentives to fight against Ukraine

Russia lures Yemenis with cash incentives to fight against Ukraine Submitted by MEE correspondent on Fri, 05/15/2026 - 15:31 While some Yemenis have been deceived into fighting on the front lines, many have knowingly joined up, drawn by high salaries and the promise of Russian citizenship In this photo shared with Middle East Eye a group of Yemeni men, whose faces have been blurred, are pictured in Russian military fatigues. They are said to be fighting in Ukraine (Supplied) Off Russia is luring Yemeni fighters into its  war against Ukraine  with large cash payments, monthly salaries and the promise of citizenship, Middle East Eye has learned. Multiple sources have told MEE that young men who once fought on the front lines in Taiz, Marib or along the Saudi border - either for Houthi forces, Yemeni government forces or UAE-backed militias - are being offered high salaries and bonuses that dwarf military pay in Yemen, turning Russia's war into a lucrative, and often deadly escape from poverty. The family and friends of Ahmed Nabil, a young Yemeni who until last year was fighting with the Republican Guard forces on Yemen's western coast, was among scores of recruits to make the switch in the past year, they said. Fawzi, a soldier who fought alongside him in the Republican Guard, told MEE that despite Nabil receiving a monthly salary of around $260, roughly the same as what an experienced accountant earns, he found the prospect of better pay in Russia hard to ignore. "In the middle of 2025, around 10 soldiers, including Nabil, decided to travel to Russia. It seems they were in contact with someone who was already in Russia, but we weren't aware," Fawzi said. "We...

Original source: Middle East Eye