Russian Recruits Syrians to Fight Against Ukraine #5
- 2 years ago
Russia has reportedly recruited Syrians to fight in Ukraine. This is known based on information from the Pentagon.
A senior US defense official said it was unclear how many Syrians Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to recruit, and so far there was no evidence Syrian fighters had arrived in Ukraine.
"We find it worth noting that he (Russia) believes he needs to rely on foreign fighters," he said.
Russia's attempts to recruit Syrians were first reported by the Syrian news website DeirEzzor24, which said Russia was seeking volunteers to act as guards on six-month contracts. Payments offered are between US $200 and US $300 per month.
Syrian fighters were recruited by Russia because they were considered to have expertise in urban warfare so that it would provide an advantage for the Russian side.
The Wall Street Journal reports that several Syrian mercenaries are already in Russia and preparing to enter combat in Ukraine. Russia has also deployed Chechen troops in Ukraine. It was known by the Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, who is a close ally of Putin.
Last week, the secretary of Ukraine's national security and defense council, Oleksiy Danilov, alleged that a unit of Chechen special forces had been sent to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Danilov said Ukraine had received clues from within Russia's FSB intelligence agency and had intercepted and killed a Chechen assassination squad on the outskirts of Kyiv.
There is no sign yet of the Belarusian army taking part in the Russian invasion of Ukraine or even preparing to take part. But according to the Pentagon, there are reports that they may be sent to the front lines.
Reports of recruiting foreign fighters come as Russia's offensive into Kyiv continues to stall, which the Pentagon says has stalled even after Putin deployed nearly 100% of the substantial invasion force he has amassed on the Ukrainian border, comprising 127 battalion tactical groups.
"We're not seeing much progress," said a senior US defense official.
The US also considers Ukrainian airspace to be contested, as Kiev government forces still have most of their aircraft available and ready to fly, and its air defenses are still functioning.
But the official warned that Russian troops are making more progress in the south, and Vladimir Putin still has more fighting power available to him, especially his air force, which has so far remained on the sidelines of the war.
When ground strikes stalled, the Pentagon said Russia was relying more on rocket and missile strikes from a long range. As a result, more civilian areas were affected, but the Pentagon has not been able to determine whether this was unintentional or intentional targeting, which would constitute a war crime.
Ukraine itself has formed an "international legion" of foreign volunteers to defend it. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba claimed that more than 20,000 people from 52 countries have said they are willing to come to his country to serve with
A senior US defense official said it was unclear how many Syrians Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to recruit, and so far there was no evidence Syrian fighters had arrived in Ukraine.
"We find it worth noting that he (Russia) believes he needs to rely on foreign fighters," he said.
Russia's attempts to recruit Syrians were first reported by the Syrian news website DeirEzzor24, which said Russia was seeking volunteers to act as guards on six-month contracts. Payments offered are between US $200 and US $300 per month.
Syrian fighters were recruited by Russia because they were considered to have expertise in urban warfare so that it would provide an advantage for the Russian side.
The Wall Street Journal reports that several Syrian mercenaries are already in Russia and preparing to enter combat in Ukraine. Russia has also deployed Chechen troops in Ukraine. It was known by the Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, who is a close ally of Putin.
Last week, the secretary of Ukraine's national security and defense council, Oleksiy Danilov, alleged that a unit of Chechen special forces had been sent to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Danilov said Ukraine had received clues from within Russia's FSB intelligence agency and had intercepted and killed a Chechen assassination squad on the outskirts of Kyiv.
There is no sign yet of the Belarusian army taking part in the Russian invasion of Ukraine or even preparing to take part. But according to the Pentagon, there are reports that they may be sent to the front lines.
Reports of recruiting foreign fighters come as Russia's offensive into Kyiv continues to stall, which the Pentagon says has stalled even after Putin deployed nearly 100% of the substantial invasion force he has amassed on the Ukrainian border, comprising 127 battalion tactical groups.
"We're not seeing much progress," said a senior US defense official.
The US also considers Ukrainian airspace to be contested, as Kiev government forces still have most of their aircraft available and ready to fly, and its air defenses are still functioning.
But the official warned that Russian troops are making more progress in the south, and Vladimir Putin still has more fighting power available to him, especially his air force, which has so far remained on the sidelines of the war.
When ground strikes stalled, the Pentagon said Russia was relying more on rocket and missile strikes from a long range. As a result, more civilian areas were affected, but the Pentagon has not been able to determine whether this was unintentional or intentional targeting, which would constitute a war crime.
Ukraine itself has formed an "international legion" of foreign volunteers to defend it. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba claimed that more than 20,000 people from 52 countries have said they are willing to come to his country to serve with