UK announces sanctions targeting Russia fighter recruitment, drone production

LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - ​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".