Russian military officers have recruited 40,000 Syrian fighters to join the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine, a monitoring group said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said registration offices have been set up by Russian officers. So far, members of the Syrian army and allied militias with combat experience have been registered to be on standby for deployment, with Moscow offering a salary of $1,100 a month, the Observatory said. Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the monitoring group, said 22,000 of those on the list have already been approved by Russian officers. Another 18,000 registered separately and were awaiting vetting by the Kremlin-linked Wagner Group, a shadowy mercenary group accused of a slew of war crimes in Syria, Libya, and Central Africa. The news comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin last week urged his defense minister to get “volunteer” foreign fighters to Ukraine to assist Russian troops. None of the 40,000 Syrian fighters have been confirmed yet as having departed for Ukraine, the Observatory said.
