U.S. Officials Accuses Russia of Hiring Syrian Fighters in War Against Ukraine

JAKARTADAILY.ID - A U.S. official has accused Russia of recruiting Syrian fighters to fight against Ukraine. The recruited Syrians were said to have expertise in urban combat.

The official also claims Russia to have recruited the Syrians since 2015, as reported by Wall Street Journal, Monday, March 7, 2022. The forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have been fighting in urban centers for nearly a decade. Meanwhile, urban combat skills are hard to find among Russian troops.

The official did not go into details on how many Syrian fighters joined the fight against Ukraine. Their statement was contradictory to the comments by Syria's Vice Foreign Minister Bashar Jaafari, who said it was actually the U.S. military who sent ISIS/Daesh terrorist groups from Syria to Ukraine.

Jafari also claims his team has evidence where the U.S. sent the terrorist group to Ukraine.

"Based on the analysis, we can say that this is quite possibly true. We, as a state, have evidence that the U.S. military in Syria is transferring terrorists from one place to another, especially members of the IS and Jabhat Al-Nusra," Jafari said as quoted by Sputnik News, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, via Pikiran-rakyat.com.

He said the U.S. had transported the terrorists from Syria to Afghanistan and Burkina-Faso. He also said the use of mercenary is an established U.S. practice.

"So one should not be surprised," Jaafari said. "And we will not exclude [the possibility], that tomorrow IS terrorists will be sent to Ukraine."

"The West will not hesitate to arm the devil against Russia if it is in their interests," he continued.

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said more than 16,000 foreign fighters volunteered to defend his country, whom he calls "international legion", as quoted by The Hill.

The article was translated from Pikiran-Rakyat.com's article titled "Pejabat AS Tuduh Rusia Rekrut Pejuang Suriah Berperang Melawan Ukraina, Punya Keahlian Pertempuran".

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