Defense Official Says Russians Reportedly Recruiting Syrian Mercenaries
MARCH 7, 2022 | BY DAVID VERGUN, DOD NEWS
The Russians are reportedly trying to recruit Syrians to sign up and fight in Ukraine, a senior defense official said today.
"We find that noteworthy that [Russian President Vladimir Putin] believes that he needs to rely on foreign fighters to supplement what is a very significant commitment of combat power inside Ukraine as it is," the official said, noting that Putin has now committed nearly 100% of his combat power into Ukraine, which had been amassed along the border at the start of the war.
The airspace over Ukraine is still contested, but Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy still has most of his fixed-wing aircraft available to him to fly combat missions, the official said.
Since the beginning of this war, the Russians have launched more than 625 missiles, consisting of a mix of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, surface-to-air missiles, and cruise missile. Some of the missiles have caused civilian casualties, the official said.
https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/2958107/defense-official-says-russians-reportedly-recruiting-syrian-mercenaries/
