When Russia began their invasion of Ukraine, they were met with surprisingly strong resistance, derailing their original plans.
Now, Russian forces appear to be regrouping as they look for ways to move forward.
On Friday (11 Mar), Russian President Vladimir Putin said he approved recruiting some 16,000 Syrian military volunteers to fight alongside Russian soldiers.
Later, it was revealed that the Syrian soldiers were promised payments of ~S$4,041.25 (USD$3,000) a month. The amount was about 50 times their monthly salary.
On Friday (11 Mar), the Russian president approved recruiting up to 16,000 Syrian volunteers to be deployed alongside Russian soldiers.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said the deployment would be made to the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Much of the recent fighting has been taking place in the separatist-controlled region.
Reuters reported that Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu also proposed that Western-made missiles captured by the Russian military in Ukraine be handed over to Donbas forces.
Earlier on, Mr Putin denied that the Syrian military volunteers would be paid. He stated that these soldiers want to fight on their own accord and not for money.
He added that the decision to welcome foreign forces comes as Ukraine sees an influx of foreign fighters.
According to The Guardian, Mr Putin said they were ‘encouraged to travel there by the West’.
It was later revealed that enlistment notices have been put up on Syrian websites.
Notices stated a salary of up to ~S$4,041.25 (USD$3,000), The Guardian reported. The amount is up to 50 times a Syrian soldier’s monthly salary.
One such notice was addressed to “men of the 4th Division security office”. The 4th Division is one of Syrian President Bashar al Assad’s core units.
Since then, there have been numerous posts made by soldiers or Assad supporters asking how to enlist.
Although Syria has struggled with war at home for decades, the offer is said to be significantly enticing for troops loyal to Assad.
According to The Wall Street Journal, these soldier volunteers will be ‘skilled in urban combat’.
On the same day of the announcement, the Russian Ministry of Defence released footage of Syrian soldiers holding up the letter ‘Z’, which has become a symbol of war for Russia recently.
The soldiers were seen waving both Syria and Russia flags. They were also chanting in support of the Syrian president.
With the involvement of the Syrian military, Mr Putin is said to be reaping the rewards of having a small but significant number of Russian troops in Syria for the past 7 years.
As what was expected to be a quick-fire war turns into a long-drawn occupation, the Russian military may be suffering from a lack of numbers.
They currently have about 190,000 troops on the ground in Ukraine.
Intelligence officials claimed that Mr Putin was surprised by the strength of Ukrainian resistance. The Guardian reported that the West supplying Kyiv with weapons has also slowed Russian advances.
The addition of the Syrian soldiers will change the dynamic of the war. But as the Syrians are worn down by a decade-long conflict with anti-Assad groups at home, experts questioned if they were battle-ready.
Although some progress has been made in talks between Russia and Ukraine, Russia has continued raining attacks on Ukraine.
As of now, up to 6,000 Russian soldiers, 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers, and hundreds of Ukrainian civilians have died in the conflict, reported CBS News.
As talks between the 2 countries continue, we can only hope leaders can come to a compromise and stop the violence in due time.
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Featured image adapted from IFE News Agency on Twitter and Reddit.
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