Russia has dismissed a senior commander for allegedly providing false claims about progress in the war in eastern Ukraine while recruiting hundreds of mercenaries from Yemen.
Lieutenant General Gennady Anashkin, commander of the Southern Group of Forces, was removed from his position after providing misleading information about Russian advances near the settlement of Siversk in eastern Donetsk, according to Russian media citing unidentified sources within the Russian Ministry of Defense. The ministry claimed this was part of a planned rotation, though no official confirmation has been issued.
Some military bloggers allege that false reports by certain commanders about the situation on the ground have led to significant losses among Russian units.
Meanwhile, Financial Times reports that Russia has recruited hundreds of mercenaries from Yemen to fight against Ukraine.
The recruits told the British newspaper they were promised lucrative jobs, “high salaries,” and even Russian citizenship. However, upon arriving in Russia with the help of a company linked to Houthi rebels, they were allegedly forced into the Russian military and sent to Ukraine’s front lines.
The Financial Times described this as “a covert human trafficking operation,” highlighting the deepening ties between the Kremlin and Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi militants.
