Four US officials told The Wall Street Journal that Russia is recruiting fighters from Syria.
The officials said that Moscow is interested in Syrians who have experience with urban combat in hopes that they can help Russian forces.
It was not clear how many Syrian fighters had been recruited or if any had already been deployed to Ukraine, though one official told The Journal some were already in Russia preparing.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Russia has been in Syria since 2015, when it launched a military intervention to help the Syrian government fight against rebels.
According to a media outlet based in Syria, Russia was offering Syrians between $200 to $300 for mercenaries willing to go to Ukraine for six months to work as guards. In 2020, it was reported that Russia had hired hundreds of Syrians to fight in Libya.
Foreign fighters have joined the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the creation of an International Legion for foreigners who wanted to fight against Russia.
British and American veterans have traveled. Ukrainian officials said last week that 3,000 Americans had applied to join the legion. The Military Times reported that hundreds of people arrived in Ukraine last week.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
