Russia Had Offered Up to 50 Times of a Syrian Soldier’s Pay to Recruit Them to Fight in Ukraine

When Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, the Kremlin government was probably expecting that Ukraine would just roll out the red carpet and let them have their way.

It certainly seemed that way at first, from how decisive Moscow had sent in airstrikes to bomb various military infrastructure, totalling up to 74 military ground facilities, according to the Russia’s defence ministry.

From the get-go, Ukraine was pushed to a passive position; citizens who feared for their lives fled to other countries; the Ukrainian reservist members aged 16 to 60 were rallied up; the Kyiv government was so desperate that it willingly offered up firearms to any person in Ukraine that was willing to defend its country.

As US President Joe Biden phrases it aptly: “[Putin] thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead he met a wall of strength he never imagined. He met the Ukrainian people.”

What was meant to be a short-lived conflict in Putin’s eyes has now been prolonged, and the Russian forces appear to be regrouping as they decide on their next plan of action.

The Recruitment of Syrian “Volunteer” Fighters

As it stands, Moscow has around 190,000 troops on the ground.

On Friday (11 Mar), Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in a televised speech that “Western sponsors of Ukraine, the Ukraine regime, they are not hiding it, they are doing it openly, neglecting every norm of international law.”

Please hold while I do a spit take, because the audacity of him uttering those words with a stoic face—You know what, I’ll clap for his thick skin.

Putin adds, “Therefore, if there are people willing to go there and help the people of Donbas as volunteers, especially free of charge, well, we should grant them their wish and help them reach the combat zone.”

Shortly thereafter, the Russian President announces that there will be 16,000 Syrian volunteers who will be deployed alongside the Russian soldiers.

Conforming to President Putin’s speech, the Russian Defence Ministry affirmed that the deployment will be heading for the Donbas region, since most of the recent fighting has been taking place in the breakaway regions.

It is Paid Volunteerism

But lo and behold, the punchline arrives.

It turns out Russia had put up enlistment notices on Syrian websites, stating that those who agreed to fight would be paid a salary of up to USD$3,000, depending on their combat experience, which is 50 times the amount of a Syrian soldier’s monthly salary.

The Guardian reports that one such notice was specifically addressed to the “men of the 4th Division security office”, which is one of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s core units.

Although Russia had began allying itself with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad seven years ago, providing all kind of military aid including weaponry and air cover, those investments have yet to reap any rewards.

President Bashar al-Assad’s group has barely managed to claw back two-thirds of the country back from the anti-Assad and terrorist groups since, and it can be said that it has been a gruelling, nearly decade long battle for territorial dominance.

For the Syrian fighters, the high salary is undoubtedly appealing, such that posts on how they could enlist started popping up on the same day.

However, these fighters have also been worn down from the decade-long battle with the anti-Assad groups and the Islamic state.

Whether these important units or volunteers are truly ready for battle must be called into question, even if they’re being enticed by the monetary incentives.

It appears that the money that Putin is pouring into Syria has yet to end.

Syrian Soldiers Waving the ‘Z’ sign

On the same day, the Russian Defence Military released footage of Syrian “volunteers” holding up the letter Z, which means Za pobedu (for victory) and the letter V representing the power of truth.

Ah, war propaganda at its finest.

They were seen waving the flags of Syria and Russia, while chanting their support for their President.

Considering how the Syrian President is knees-deep in Putin’s debt, the Syrian deployment of soldiers is more than likely.

On the Side of Ukraine

Truth to be told, it does appear the President Putin is a little salty about the fact that Ukraine has actually been receiving assistance and volunteer fighters for free.

Thus far, the United States has already contributed at least US$1 billion in terms of military assistance.

The European Union, a coalition formed for economic cooperation, made a precedent by committing €500 million to give Ukraine military assistance, and has earmarked another €500 million for the same cause on 11 March.

While some Ukrainians have chosen to flee to preserve their lives, other Ukrainians abroad or those with roots in Ukraine have chosen to return to fight for the country.

Igor Gavrylko is one such example; even though he has been living in the United Kingdom (UK) since 1996 and has been naturalised as a British citizen, he drove across Europe to fight for his old homeland.

He still had familial connections in Ukraine, and they had narrowly escaped the bombardments. Gavrylko first arranged for his mother, sister, and four-year-old niece to go to Poland, but his 74-year-old father refused to leave.

Gavrylko is currently training to be a combat medic, wishing to fight for Ukraine as his father had decades ago, in a Soviet camp in Kazakhstan. He doesn’t know if he’ll have a job after this, or what will become of him, but he’s determined to stay.

According to Gavrylko’s account, he’s not alone; in fact, “several hundred” Britons have already arrived. Most notably, even the son of a British Member of the Parliament, Ben Grant, was present in the warzone.

Besides the Britons, there were volunteers from Canada and the United States, who were sighted in Lviv’s Freedom Square this week. For these two countries in particular, they possess a large Ukrainian diaspora community in their population.

There were so many volunteers coming from different backgrounds, like the Baltic states and Georgia, the latter of which was also a victim of Russian aggression and trampled over in a five-day war in 2008.

As a matter of fact, the Georgians, Israelis, and Britons have acted as the Western trainers for the Ukrainian army since 2014, when Moscow annexed Crimea.

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Risking Court Martial to Volunteer

Although the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) hasn’t formally sent in any troops, it should be noted that many volunteers come from the countries that are part of the military organisation.

Last Wednesday (9 Mar), the British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps warned its soldiers that they couldn’t simply “get up and go”.

The next day (10 Mar), UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson seconded his Transport Security’s words, telling the UK service personnel that they would be facing court martial upon their return to the country, should they leave without any explanation.

Despite the threat of losing their lives and career, at least four serving British soldiers have departed from their barracks and headed for Ukraine.

Even better, dozens of former soldiers from the British army’s elite Parachute Regiment have made landfall in Ukraine.

According to an interview done by Reuters, one of the ex-soldiers anticipated that hundreds more would inevitably follow.

He said, “They’re all highly, highly trained and have seen active service on numerous occasions.”

Since they’ve been taken off active duty, the Ukrainian crisis would give them purpose and “a chance to do what they’re good at: fight.”

The Only Plan is To Fight

In the face of the mass exodus of Ukrainians, by the millions, apparently 66,000 Ukrainians have chosen to return home to fight, a number that was confirmed by Ukraine’s defence minister, Oleksii Reznikov.

That is equivalent to 12 brigades.

In light of the overwhelming international humanitarian response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set up a website advising what would-be foreign volunteers need to do.

For those who want to join Ukraine’s international legion, they are told to report at their nearest Ukrainian embassy for an interview with a defence attaché. If they are approved, they will be given instructions on how to get into Ukraine and what to bring: like documents of proof, military kits including body armour and helmet.

Even some Singaporeans have jumped on the ship, wanting to fight in Ukraine. Watch this video to the end and you’d understand:

The Ukrainian government has reported that more than 16,000 people have signed up thus far.

Are the numbers a coincidence? I think not. 

From the very start of the Ukrainian conflict, the world was well-aware of the far-reaching consequences that it will have, should Russia succeed in its expansionist goals.

It’s a fight against Putin’s version of fascism, the condemnation of his autocracy, and most importantly, it’s protecting the international laws of sovereignty and territorial integrity that the 21st century nations are built upon.

The fact that people are willing to brave the war zones for their democratic ideals, as opposed to how President Putin needs to use monetary incentives to rally more troops, is really telling about which side has the moral high ground.

Read Also:

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• First Peace Talk Between Ukraine & Russia That Involves a Russia Minister Did Not Yield Any Positive Result
• Netizens Praise ‘Shy’ Student in S’pore Who Gave Balanced Views of the Russia-Ukraine War

Featured Image: Reddit