The United Kingdom has imposed fresh sanctions on Russia, targeting a network of traffickers, recruiters and drone suppliers accused of supporting Moscow’s war in Ukraine while exploiting vulnerable foreign nationals, including Nigerians.
In measures announced on Wednesday, the UK sanctioned 35 individuals and entities allegedly linked to schemes that lure migrants with promises of jobs, education and relocation opportunities before deploying them to Russia’s drone factories or the battlefield in Ukraine.
British authorities said citizens from Nigeria, Egypt, Iraq and Ivory Coast were among those targeted by recruiters connected to the Kremlin. Some victims were reportedly sent into combat with little or no military training, while others were forced into labour linked to drone production.
At the centre of the allegations is the Alabuga Start programme, which UK officials say channels foreign recruits into Russian drone manufacturing operations tied to sanctioned entities.
UK Minister Stephen Doughty described the operation as a brutal exploitation network designed to sustain Russia’s military campaign and expand its drone warfare capabilities.
The sanctions also targeted individuals and companies accused of supplying components and technical support for Russia’s growing drone programme, including suppliers in China and Thailand. Among those sanctioned is Pavel Nikitin, whose company produces the VT-40 drone widely used in attacks across Ukraine.
British officials said Russia intensified its drone attacks in March 2026, reportedly launching more than 200 drones daily, the highest rate since the war began.
UK authorities also identified Polina Alexandrovna Azarnykh as a key coordinator in moving foreign recruits into Russia before deployment to Ukraine, adding that some recruits have already died.
Reacting to the development in Abuja, British Deputy High Commissioner Gill Lever said Nigerians had been directly affected by the recruitment schemes, warning that traffickers were exploiting economic hardship with false promises of legitimate opportunities abroad.
The sanctions were imposed under the UK’s Global Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons sanctions regime, marking its first use against networks accused of using migration and trafficking to support warfare.
The UK said the action forms part of wider efforts to weaken Russia’s military supply chains and increase pressure on Moscow as the war in Ukraine continues.
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