There has been near-constant fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces over the past 19 days – a battle that has claimed hundreds of lives, forced more than a million people to flee and caused enormous material destruction.

Ukraine has put up a strong fight against Russia, and hundreds of soldiers from both countries have lost their lives. On Saturday, Ukrainian authorities claimed that 1,300 Ukrainian soldiers had died, while claiming to have killed as many as 12,000 Russian fighters. Russia, however, believes that fewer than 500 Russian soldiers have been killed.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a non-governmental organization that aims to document human rights abuses in the country, now states that more than 40,000 Syrian fighters have signed up to fight for Russia in the war against Ukraine. He wrote The Kyiv Independent evening through Tuesday.

The information has not been confirmed by Russian authorities, and according to the organization, no fighters have left Syria yet.

Russia and Syria have been allies since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, and Putin has been a key supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

– Can increase

As early as last week, US officials claimed that Russia had begun recruiting Syrian fighters to assist the Russian military in the war.

A US assessment shows that Russia has in recent days recruited fighters from Syria in the hope that their expertise in urban warfare could help take control of Kyiv and crush the Ukrainian government, US officials say. Wall Street Journal.

DeirEzzor24a newspaper in Syria’s Deir Ezzor province, also wrote that Russia should offer volunteers in the country between 200 and 300 dollars to go to Ukraine and work with guards for six months.

“Recruitments could lead to a potential escalation of fighting in Ukraine,” said one of the WSJ sources.

Storm broadcast with “No War” sign

Warning

In recent weeks, several foreign soldiers have also signed up to fight on the side of Ukraine. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba estimated last week that as many as 20,000 people, from 52 different countries, had registered with the “International Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine”.

Despite the fact that Russia is now recruiting Syrian fighters, the spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, Igor Konashenkov, has previously issued a stern warning for what he called “mercenaries” for Ukraine.

None of the mercenaries (people who enlist for service, journ.amn.) sent to Ukraine to fight for the nationalist regime in Kyiv, can be considered fighters according to international humanitarian law or enjoy prisoner-of-war status. At best, they can expect to be prosecuted as criminals, he said, continuing:

– We urge all foreign nationals who may have plans to travel and fight for the Kyiv nationalist regime, to think a dozen times before leaving.