The United Kingdom (UK) has announced a new package of sanctions over allegations of trafficking foreign nationals to Russia to take part in the war against Ukraine. The measures, published on Tuesday (5 May), target 35 individuals and entities, including a Bangladeshi travel company.
The UK Foreign Office said Russia has been fraudulently recruiting migrants from various countries to sustain manpower and military capacity in its war against Ukraine.
Some have been sent to the battlefield, while others are working in weapons and drone factories. The new sanctions aim to dismantle this network.
The Bangladeshi entity named in the sanctions list is Dream Home Travels and Tours Limited. The company is accused of involvement in sending people to Russia under the lure of overseas job opportunities.
In practice, it operates mainly as an online travel platform offering air tickets, hotel bookings, visa assistance, and tour packages.
According to the UK, these networks exploit migrants seeking a better life by taking them to Russia for use in combat or in drone and military production facilities. Allegations have specifically arisen around Russia’s “Alabuga Start” programme, which recruits foreign nationals.
The sanctions also cover individuals and entities from Thailand, China, and other countries linked to supplying parts and technology for Russia’s drone production. Businessman Pavel Valerevich NIKITIN, associated with the Russian VT‑40 attack drone manufacturer, is among the individuals.
UK Sanctions Minister Stephen Doughty said exploiting vulnerable people to sustain Russia’s war in Ukraine is “utterly barbaric.” He added the purpose of the measures is to identify traffickers and illegal arms suppliers and disrupt their operations.
Several more individuals accused of trafficking people through Russia into the war in Ukraine have also been designated. Polina Alexandrovna Azarnykh, alleged to have recruited people from Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Morocco, and Syria for transfer to Russia, is among them.
The action has been taken under the Global Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons Sanctions Regulations 2025 to counter the use of trafficking and migration as a political weapon, said the British government.
The regulation allows sanctions against individuals, entities, and financiers involved in human trafficking anywhere in the world.
According to the UK, its support for Ukraine will continue and international pressure will be intensified against Russia’s military supply chains and trafficking networks.
