Report
War in Ukraine: Syrians would like to fight on both sides
Fighting in Debaltseve, Ukraine (illustrative image).
REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
Text by: Paul Khalifeh Follow
5 mins
According to various sources, Syrian fighters are recruited to participate in the war in Ukraine alongside the Russian army or Ukrainian forces.
RFI met Syrian refugees in Lebanon who would like to fight on the two opposing sides.
Advertising
Read more
From our correspondent in Beirut,
It's not a secret.
Tens of thousands of foreign fighters are pouring into
Ukraine
to take part in the fighting on one side or the other.
The Ukrainian authorities have officially called on those who wish to curb the Russian army to travel to Ukraine to enlist in "international brigades".
These volunteers come mainly from Europe but also from the United States and Latin American countries.
In recent days, information has begun to circulate about the participation in the war of fighters recruited in Syria by the two parties to the conflict.
The question seems serious enough for it to be raised by the
Chinese
ambassador to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, March 8.
We must avoid "
putting oil on the fire
", said Zhang Jun.
"
Sending mercenaries or offensive weapons to Ukraine could make the situation worse
," the diplomat warned.
Asked about the reports of the recruitment of Syrians by Russia, the spokesman for the UN, Stéphane Dujarric, indicated during his daily press briefing that he was unable to confirm them.
"
This conflict does not need more people to come from outside
," he stressed, however.
Russia would recruit urban warfare specialists
On March 6, the very serious
Wall Street Journal
(WSJ) published an article reporting operations to recruit Syrian fighters by Russia.
Quoting “
four
American officials”, the WSJ writes that the Russian forces present in Syria since 2015 are working to recruit Syrian fighters in order to take advantage of “
their expertise in urban combat for the capture of Kiev
”.
According to the newspaper, the pay of these recruits, whose number is not specified, would amount to between 200 and 300 dollars.
"
We believe that the reports that they (the Russians) are recruiting Syrian fighters to expand their forces in Ukraine are true
," US Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday March 8.
On March 4, the
Russian intelligence services
accused the American forces of having transformed their al-Tanaf base, located in the Syrian-Irako-Jordanian border triangle, into a “
training camp for Daesh terrorists (group Islamic State) in anticipation of their deployment
" in the Ukrainian theater of operations.
This Russian intelligence report, published in numerous media, adds that "
the Americans released at the end of 2021 dozens of Daesh members from Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS, including former Soviet Republics) then the sent to Tanaf for training before deploying them in Donbass
”.
Beirut-based pan-Arab TV channel al-Mayadeen reported on Tuesday (March 8th) that
450 fighters from Syria
have already arrived in Ukraine via Turkey to fight alongside the Ukrainian army.
Citing Russian sources, this media close to Damascus and Tehran claims that these fighters come from the Islamic Party of Turkestan (composed of extremist Islamists from Central Asia and China), Ansar al-Tawhid (supporters of the unification) and Hurras al-Dine (the Guardians of the Religion), both close to al-Qaeda.
This contingent of 450 fighters would include 300 Syrians and 150 men of Asian nationalities, including Chinese Uighurs.
Their balance would amount to 1,500 dollars per month, according to al-Mayadeen.
In the merciless information war waged by the belligerents of the conflict, it is difficult to verify the authenticity and accuracy of this information.
One thing is certain, both in government areas and in regions beyond the control of the power of Damascus, the Syrian population is living to the rhythm of this war which is taking place 2,500 kilometers from their country.
Syrians caught up in the conflict
Signs depicting Vladimir Putin and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad shaking hands have appeared in major Syrian cities and on major highways.
In the province of Idlib, in the northwest of the country, controlled by jihadists and pro-Turkish rebels, banners denouncing “
Russian barbarism
” abound.
Interest in the war in Ukraine has won over the Syrian community in Lebanon, which since 2011 has hosted more than a million refugees from neighboring Syria.
"
I want to find a way to get to Ukraine to fight with the Russians who destroyed my house
," Raëd, a construction worker in his thirties, from the central province of Hama, told RFI. settled in Lebanon for seven years.
“
You don't have a contact at the Ukrainian embassy?
“, he ventures.
Ezzo nods his head.
“
I intend to go to Tripoli (North-Lebanon) to a Turkish NGO to get information
,” says this digger driver.
The discussion comes alive around an improvised fire to protect themselves from the cold.
“
If you want to fool yourself with the Russians why go so far, they are right next door, in Syria.
Say instead that you are interested in fresh dollars.
Me, if I had to go there, it is to fight with the Russians who got rid of Daesh
, ”says Ghazwan, a supporter of the Syrian government.
The majority of Syrian refugees encountered lean towards Ukraine.
While most are content to express their solidarity, some are determined to find a way to join the battlefield.
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_EN
Syria
Russia
Ukraine
our selection
Lebanon