The group, which includes at least 300 soldiers, will undergo military training before being sent to Ukraine.
The first contingent of Syrian mercenaries arrived in Russia to undergo military training before being sent to Ukraine. This was reported by The New York Times.
According to the publication, the group included at least 300 soldiers from a division of the Syrian army, who worked closely with Russian officials who fought on Bashar al-Assad’s side.
It emphasizes that recruiters across Syria have “compiled lists of thousands of interested parties,” which must be checked by the country’s special services before being sent to the Russian Federation.
According to the NYT, in recent years, Syria has become an exporter of mercenaries. The country’s forces have taken part in fighting in Libya, Azerbaijan, the Central African Republic, and now in Ukraine.
“Some Syrians feel loyalty to Russia because of its support for Assad, while others have signed up to fight because they just need money. They believe in the promises of recruiters that they will have non- combat work, such as surveillance facilities, ”Bassam explains. Alahmad, head of a human rights organization Syrians for truth and justice.
The publication recalls that the use of mercenaries is not considered a war crime under the Geneva Conventions, but there is a separate UN agreement criminalizing it. Ukraine signed this document, but Russia did not.
“The war in Ukraine could attract a large number of Syrians, due to the scale of the fighting, the large number of dead and wounded Russians, and Russia’s close ties with the Syrian military. But much more about on the deployment and activities of Syrian mercenaries remains unclear due to the secret nature of their work, ”the statement said. article.
The NYT source specified that the Russian Federation intends to enroll 16,000 Syrians in the war against Ukraine, giving preference to men with combat experience.
The mercenaries already in Russia are representatives of the elite division of the Syrian army. According to the newspaper source, the Russian side offered them $ 1,200 per month for six months, with a bonus of $ 3,000 when they return to Syria.
Earlier it was reported that about a thousand Syrian mercenaries volunteered to fight on the Russian side.
Russia has set up camps for Syrian mercenaries near the Ukrainian border
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Source: korrespondent
