Chechens, Syrians, Wagner mercenaries: who is fighting alongside the Russians in Ukraine?

A convoy of pro-Russian troops heading towards the besieged city of Mariupol, March 28, 2022. © Alexander Ermoshenko / Reuters

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Faced with the losses which seem greater than those announced, Russia has launched for several weeks a call for volunteers wishing to come and fight in Ukraine.

Chechen fighters have since come to reinforce Russian forces on Ukrainian soil, but not only: in addition to volunteers, mercenaries from the Wagner group would also be deployed alongside Russia, according to the British Ministry of Defense.

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The information was published Monday evening, March 28, on the Twitter account of the British Ministry of Defense which announced that the private Russian military company of the Wagner group has deployed in eastern Ukraine.

About a thousand mercenaries to carry out combat operations, the ministry said.

Wagner, often accused of abuses, is already present in various countries, notably in Syria, Mali and

Libya

 : these are seasoned professionals who will partially compensate for the losses of Russian soldiers since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine.

In addition to these mercenaries, Russia has obtained the help of

thousands of Chechen fighters,

more than 10,000 according to Ramzan Kadyrov, the President of the Republic of Chechnya, considered an unwavering supporter of Vladimir Putin.

Its fighters have a reputation for being ruthless and are regularly accused of being involved in

kidnappings

, acts of torture or even assassinations.

South Ossetia, a self-proclaimed republic which seceded from Georgia in 2008, also announced the dispatch of reinforcements, without specifying their number.

Finally, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a list of 40,000

fighters from the Syrian army

and allied militias are ready to be deployed.

The list would have been validated by Moscow, according to this Syrian NGO.

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To read also: 

"Hiccups" in the communication strategy of the Ukrainian authorities?

Your questions about the war in Ukraine © RFI

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