UK cracks down on Russia’s exploitation of vulnerable migrants and deadly drone capability

• The UK continues to disrupt Russia’s military supply chains and the callous trafficking of foreign migrants in a fresh wave of sanctions.  
• As Russia attempts to exploit migrants to prop up its war machine, sanctions announced today directly target individuals trafficking vulnerable migrants to fight on the frontline of Putin’s war, as well as companies’ supplying Russia’s drone factories.  
• Fresh action demonstrates continued UK leadership to combat Russian aggression at every level, ratchet up economic pressure on the Kremlin and support Ukraine for as long as it takes to secure a just and lasting peace. 

The UK has announced a raft of new sanctions to curb production of Russian drones and the nefarious networks that are exploiting vulnerable migrants from across the globe to support Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. The latest action hits 35 individuals and entities, including those responsible for human trafficking networks, funnelling exploited migrants into Russia’s war machine.   

Networks sanctioned by the UK have been deceptively recruiting foreign migrants in search of a better life and either sending them to the front line as cannon fodder or putting them to work in weapons factories. This includes through schemes like Russia’s Alabuga Start programme for drone production at a UK-sanctioned entity. 

Russia continues to terrorise Ukraine by indiscriminately using drones, killing, and injuring innocent civilians and damaging critical infrastructure. Russia fired the equivalent of over 200 drones per day into Ukraine in March 2026, the highest ever monthly total. Russia is likely to exceed this grim record for a second consecutive month in April.   

These attacks rely on domestic manufacturers and third country suppliers providing key components and technical support. This new action is designed to disrupt these supply chains and hold those responsible to account by targeting the businessmen and companies fuelling Russia’s drone manufacturing capabilities. 

Sanctions Minister Stephen Doughty said: 

The practice of exploiting vulnerable people to prop up Russia’s failing and illegal war in Ukraine is barbaric.  

 These sanctions expose and disrupt the operations of those trafficking migrants as cannon fodder and feeding Putin’s drone factories with illicit components to target innocent civilians and vital infrastructure.   

The UK continues to lead international efforts to disrupt Russia’s war machine, ramping up pressure on its economy and confronting its hybrid threats. We stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine in defence of European security and our shared values.”  

Sanctioned targets also include individuals and entities based in third countries, including Thailand and China, responsible for supplying drone components and other critical military goods to Russia.   

Among those sanctioned is Pavel Nikitin, whose company develops Russia’s VT‑40 drone - a cheap, mass‑produced attack drone which has been used extensively by Russia in its attacks on Ukraine.  

Also sanctioned are three individuals with links to the Russian state involved in recruiting individuals to travel to Ukraine to fight for Russia.   

This includes Polina Alexandrovna Azarnykh, who, backed by the Russian state, has been facilitating the travel of individuals from countries including Egypt, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Morocco, Syria and Yemen through Russia to Ukraine, where they are deployed with minimal training and under dire conditions to the frontline to sustain Russia’s illegal war of aggression.   

The UK remains unwavering in its support for Ukraine and will continue to use the full force of its sanctions powers to disrupt Russia’s hybrid threats and squeeze the Kremlin’s war machine. These measures underline our determination to hold Russia and its enablers to account, defend European security and support Ukraine’s fight for freedom.  

Notes to Editors:  

• The UK Global Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons (GIMTiPS) sanctions regime is the world’s first dedicated sanctions regime targeting illegal migration and organised immigration crime.  The UK Government can now target individuals and entities anywhere in the world involved in people smuggling and human trafficking, as well as enablers such as financiers, and companies involved in small boat supply chains.
• This marks the first use of the GiMTiPs regime to tackle human trafficking and the instrumentalisation of migration to destabilise other countries. The UK Government is committed to playing its part in eradicating all forms of modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking.  
• More information on the UK’s support for Ukraine can be found here.