Britain imposes new sanctions against Russia over drones and migrant recruitment for war

The United Kingdom has imposed a new package of sanctions against Russia. The restrictions include 35 people and companies that supplied components for drones and helped recruit foreigners for the war.

This was reported by the countryʼs government.

The British government claims that Russia is actively exploiting vulnerable migrants, promising them better living conditions or jobs, and then involving them in the war against Ukraine as "cannon fodder" or in the production of military equipment.

In particular, sanctions were imposed against Polina Azarnykh, a former Russian teacher who sent almost 500 invitations to foreign men allowing them to enter the Russian Federation and join the military. A BBC investigation found that the woman misled the men and claimed that they would avoid combat.

Restrictions were also imposed against seven employees of the Alabuga Start program, which recruits foreigners.

A separate part of the sanctions is aimed at disrupting the supply chains for Russian drones. The sanctions list includes companies and intermediaries from various countries, such as China and Thailand, that have helped Russia circumvent restrictions and obtain the necessary technology and components.

Among others sanctioned was Pavel Nikitin, whose company develops the Russian VT-40 drone, a cheap, mass-produced drone that Russia has widely used in attacks on Ukraine.

Russian mercenaries from other countries

According to the latest data from the Coordination Headquarters, the Russians have recruited 27 407 foreigners from 135 countries for the war against Ukraine. So far, 10 000 living and dead mercenaries have been identified, and hundreds more are in Ukrainian captivity. Ukrainian troops capture from one to three foreign mercenaries every week.

There are established facts of recruitment of citizens of Nepal and Somalia into the Russian army. The Russian Federation also recruited illegal migrants from the Finnish border into its army who were trying to get to the EU through Russia. Some citizens of Nepal and India are already in captivity or have died. There are also videos on social networks with Africans as part of the Russian occupation forces in Ukraine.

The Kremlin also cooperates with the North Korean army, whose soldiers were involved in fighting in the Kursk region. In addition, in September 2023, a scheme to recruit mercenaries for the war against Ukraine was exposed in Cuba.

At the end of October 2025, it became known that the Russian Federation was recruiting people in the Balkan Peninsula to fight in the Russian army, promising payments, citizenship, and benefits.

Mercenaries from South Africa were also sent to fight against Ukraine. In late 2025, the daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma resigned from her parliamentary mandate: she was accused of deceiving 18 men into going as mercenaries to fight for Russia in Ukraine.

In January 2026, another scheme to recruit foreigners became known — the Russians lured Bangladeshi citizens into supposedly civilian vacancies, and then sent them to fight against Ukraine.

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