It has been 12 days since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Since then, there have been almost constant battles between Russian and Ukrainian forces – battles that have required hundreds of human livesforced over a million people on the run and led to enormous material destruction.
US officials now claim that Russia is recruiting Syrian fighters to assist the Russian military in the war against Ukraine, writes The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
“A US assessment indicates that Russia has in recent days recruited fighters from Syria in the hope that their expertise in urban warfare can help take control of Kyiv and destroy the Ukrainian government,” several US officials told the newspaper.
– Can escalate
It is currently uncertain how many warriors there will be, but according to officials, several are already in Russia and preparing to take part in the conflict.
DeirEzzor24a newspaper in the Deir Ezzor province in Syria, also claims that Russia has offered volunteers in the country between 200 and 300 dollars to go to Ukraine and work with guards for periods of six months.
Fearing these weapons is Putin’s next move
“Recruitment could lead to a potential escalation of fighting in Ukraine,” said one WSJ source.
Russia and Syria have been allies since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, and Putin has been a key supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Russian authorities have not yet commented on the information to The Wall Street Journal.
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Russia with warning
In the last week, several foreign soldiers have also enlisted in the service to fight on Ukraine’s side.
On Sunday, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba estimated that as many as 20,000 people, from 52 different countries, had enlisted in the “International Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine”.
Despite the fact that Russia is now recruiting Syrian fighters, a spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defense, Igor Konashenkov, Friday with a strong warning to what he referred to as “mercenaries” for Ukraine.
Lithuania: Norwegian NATO soldiers practice war
None of the mercenaries (persons enlisting for service, journ.amn.) The West sends to Ukraine to fight for the nationalist regime in Kyiv, can be considered a combatant in accordance with international humanitarian law or enjoy the status of a prisoner of war. At best, they can expect to be prosecuted as criminals, he said, continuing:
– We urge all foreign nationals who may have plans to travel and fight for Kyiv’s nationalist regime, to think a dozen times before leaving.
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