Yemeni men could start fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine, according to the Financial Times. Does this mark a further escalation in hostilities?

U.S. officials have raised alarms about Russias increasing involvement with the Houthi rebels in Yemen. While the Houthis have long been supported by Iran, recent reports suggest that Russia may be stepping in to aid the rebels,

Moscow has previously pulled mercenaries into its war effort in Ukraine and now appears to be recruiting much further afield.

One recruit told the Financial Times that he was forced to sign an enlistment contract that he could not read before being sent to Ukraine.

Russia has recruited hundreds of Yemeni mercenaries to fight in Ukraine, the Financial Times reported, as the Kremlin increasingly looks to foreign troops to limit the impact of the war on the domestic population.

Russia’s heavy combat causalities from the war in the Ukraine have prompted the Kremlin to use any and all means to recruit new frontline fighters.