Syrian fighters are yet to come to Ukraine, US military officials
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – In light of the Russian failure to achieve its goal of the invasion of Ukraine as planned, failing to capture Kyiv in a matter of days as a result of a fierce Ukrainian resistance, US military officials denied that Syrian fighters are being taken to fight for Russia in Ukraine.
“We have not seen an influx into Ukraine of foreign fighters hired or recruited by Russia, but we are seeing an interest by Russia in doing just that,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters on Monday.
Mr. Kirby comments came a week after The top U.S. general in the Middle East, Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), disputed news reports that Russia opened more than a dozen recruiting centers across Syria.
“We haven’t seen any large-scale efforts to do that,” Gen. McKenzie said Friday in a briefing to Pentagon reporters.
Another Pentagon official said that CENTCOM’s assessment reflected the US recent military’s information, according to Al-Monitor.
These reports came after Russian President Vladimir Putin allowed after a meeting with his Security Council on Friday for up to 16,000 volunteers from the Middle East to fight alongside Russia in turn for money.
The Kremlin’s threat to deploy 16,000 fighters from the Middle East into Ukraine is more bluster than reality, according to US military officials.
The CENTCOM commander told Senate lawmakers last week that only “small, very small, groups of people” in Syria have been “trying to make their way to Ukraine.”
On their side, some Syrian commanders expressed their readiness to fight alongside Russia as soon as they get the “orders”.
“Once we get instructions from the Syrian and Russian leadership, we will fight this righteous war,” Nabil Abdullah , a commander in the paramilitary National Defense Forces (NDF) told Reuters on March 14, four days after Mr. Putin’s announcement.
But, up to now, there is no official statement from Syria nor Russia if any NDF fighters would join the war or not, according to Reuters.