SYRIA: Russians recruit Syrians to fight in Libya

MOSCOW/ DARAMSUQ (DAMASCUS)/ BENGHAZI – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) stated that Russian forces, like their Turkish counterpart, are taking advantage of the poor living conditions of Syrians, recruiting them to fight in Libya for a pay of $1,000 per month per fighter. The SOHR stated that the Russian forces are recruiting Syrians in the areas under control of the Syrian Baath Regime, and sending them off to fight in the military operations in Libya alongside the Libyan National Army led by Field Marshal Khalifa Hafter.

Recruitment operations are taking place in the provinces of Daraa, As-Suwayda, Homs, Al-Hasakah, Hama and Deir ez-Zor, as Russian military forces take advantage of the very poor living conditions and poverty among the Syrians amid a Syrian economy collapse. According to the SOHR, the number of recruits who have already arrived in Libya and those who are being trained and prepared to be transferred has reached an estimated 2,700 Syrians from Raqqa, Homs, Latakia, Al-Hasakah, As-Suwayda and Deir ez-Zor, so far.

Russia is present in Libya with own military forces but also uses the Russian security company Wagner for recruitment and fighting in Libya.