By John Ikani
President of Russia, Vladimir Putin has given the green light for up to 16,000 volunteer fighters from the Middle East to be deployed alongside Russian-backed rebels fighting in Ukraine’s Donbas region.
The move which doubles down on an invasion that the west says has been losing momentum, allows Russia to deploy battle-hardened mercenaries from conflicts such as Syria without risking additional Russian military casualties.
“As you see, there are people who want to come on a voluntary basis, especially not for money, and help the people who live in the Donbas – well, you have to meet them halfway and help them move into the combat zone,” Putin told a meeting of the National Security Council on Friday.
According to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, more than 16,000 people – mostly from the Middle East – have appealed to join the fighting.
On Sunday, the Wall Street Journal had quoted unnamed United States officials as saying that Russia was recruiting Syrian fighters experienced in urban combat.
They want “to take part in what they consider a liberation movement,” Shoigu said, on the side of Russia-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine.
Since 2015, Russian forces have backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against various groups opposed to his rule, including Islamic State.
Putin told Shoigu that Russia should help would-be volunteers to “move to the combat zone” and contrasted them with what he called foreign “mercenaries” fighting for Ukraine.
Putin said: “If you see that there are these people who want of their own accord, not for money, to come to help the people living in Donbas, then we need to give them what they want and help them get to the conflict zone.”
Shoigu also proposed that western-made Javelin and Stinger missiles that were captured by the Russian army in Ukraine should be handed over to Donbas forces, along with other weaponry such as portable air-defence systems and anti-tank rocket complexes.
“As to the delivery of arms, especially western-made ones which have fallen into the hands of the Russian army, of course I support the possibility of giving these to the military units of the Luhansk and Donetsk people’s republics,” Putin said.
“Please do this,” he told Shoigu. The exchange was shown on Russian state television.
Putin has said the “special military operation” in Ukraine is essential to ensure Russia’s security. Ukraine says it is fighting for its existence, while the US, and its European and Asian allies have condemned the invasion. China has called for calm.
US intelligence officials told lawmakers on Thursday that Russia had been surprised by the strength of Ukrainian resistance, which had deprived the Kremlin of a quick victory it thought would have prevented the US and Nato from providing meaningful military aid.
