UK announces sanctions targeting Russia fighter recruitment, drone production

LONDON - Britain on Tuesday announced sanctions against 35 people and entities it said were involved in recruiting vulnerable migrants to fight for Russia in its war in Ukraine and produce drones for use in the conflict.

The Foreign Office announced 17 designations under its global irregular migration sanctions regime, relating to what it said were trafficking networks facilitating the travel of people to be sent "to the front line as cannon fodder".

Britain also added 18 designations under its Russia sanctions regime, several of which related to a programme which it said used "deceptive practices" to recruit people, largely from Cameroon, to produce drones.

Sanctions minister Stephen Doughty said in a statement: "The practice of exploiting vulnerable people to prop up Russia's failing and illegal war in Ukraine is barbaric."

He added that the sanctions would "disrupt the operations of those trafficking migrants as cannon fodder and feeding (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's drone factories with illicit components".

(Reporting by Sam Tobin; editing by Sarah Young)

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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 3:40 AM.