The Russian army has recruited nearly a thousand mercenaries from Syria to fight in Ukraine, Ukrainian military said Friday.
“The Russian occupiers, who suffered enormous losses during the war, already recruited mercenaries from the troops under the command of (Syrian) regime of Bashar al-Assad and (Lebanese) group) the so-called Hezbollah army”, the General Staff of the armed forces of Ukraine said in A declaration.
Syria is locked down in a brutal civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests. According to the United Nations, over 350,000 people lost their lives in the conflict, but human rights groups believe death toll between 500,000 and 600,000. More than 14 millions people had to flee their homes, becoming refugees or internally displaced, according to the European Union.
Ukraine’s president warned these mercenaries on Thursday, saying it would be “the worst decision of your life” to participate in Russian ranks against the Ukrainian army.
“We have information than Russian military recruits mercenaries from other countries trying to deceive as many young people like possible in military service,” said Volodymyr Zelensky in son daily video address on Telegram.
“So now I’m warning everybody who will try to join the occupants on our Ukrainian land. Long life is better than money on offer you for A short one,” he said.
Zelensky also says he will continue his speeches in parliaments and squares of Partner States to end the war, restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine and return to the long-awaited peace.
Zelenskyy addressed parliaments of Germany, Canada and the UK so far in video calls.
He also spoke via video link at the plenary of the European Parliament session dedicated to the Russian-Ukrainian War on 1st of March.
Russia invasion of Ukraine, which started on February 24, a drawn international condemnation, leads to financial punishments on Moscow and stimulated an exodus of global Russian companies.
At least 726 civilians were killed and 1,174 injured in Ukraine from the beginning of the brutal invasion.
More than 3 millions refugees have fled to neighboring countriesaccording to the UN
