This article from the Kyiv Independent reports on a Ukrainian intelligence dossier that reveals Russia’s recruitment of Syrian fighters to fight in Ukraine, despite the fact that Syria is no longer under Assad’s rule. The recruits were promised Russian passports and signing contracts with the assistance of an Arabic-speaking translator provided by recruiters.
After being recruited, Syrians were told they would have to undergo training at a military base in Buryatia or western Russia before being sent to combat units fighting in Ukraine. Many were killed in action, with some ending up in Russian airborne forces used as shock troops.
The article details various methods and routes used by the recruiters and their accomplices to transport Syrian recruits to the front lines, including:
* Transporting them from the Khmeimim airbase in western Syria, operated by Russia, to Rostov-on-Don, a city in southwestern Russia.
* Using Russian commercial cargo ships to transport recruits between regime-controlled ports and Russia.
* Flying recruits from Libya on private Syrian airlines and then transporting them to Russia via Khmeimim.
The article also mentions that evidence is mounting of Russia’s recruitment networks in post-Soviet countries, South Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. Recently, reports have emerged of North Korean soldiers being killed in large numbers in clashes with Ukrainian forces.
The author notes that the deaths of foreign recruits at the front appear to have little impact on Russia’s broader recruitment efforts, and encourages readers to support the Kyiv Independent by becoming a member or making a one-time donation to help shed light on Russia’s meddling in other countries’ affairs.