![Russia recruiting Syrians to fight in Ukraine, Pentagon says](https://www.portugalcolonial.pt/media/shared/articles/35/2a/68/Russia-recruiting-Syrians-to-fight--624647.jpg)
-
Child abuse scandals hang over pope's East Timor visit
-
Biden team, end in sight, keeps hope on Gaza truce despite setbacks
-
Sabalenka dedicates US Open to family 'who never gave up' on dream
-
Venezuela takes diplomatic jab at Brazil in spat over election
-
Multiple people shot along highway in US state of Kentucky
-
In Papua New Guinea, Pope holds mass 'at the edge of the world'
-
Hewett stays positive for wheelchair tennis despite agonising defeat
-
Three things on US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka
-
Sabalenka downs Pegula to win US Open thriller
-
USA slump to first home defeat against Canada in 67 years
-
Argentina hand Australia record 67-27 loss in Rugby Championship
-
England impress on Carsley bow, Germany, Dutch hit five
-
AFP photographer wins top prize for Gaza coverage
-
No Love for Packers for three weeks after ligament sprain: reports
-
Pedro Almodovar: chronicler of modern Spain crowned in Venice
-
Trump sounds dark tone at rally, Harris 'ready' for debate
-
Wirtz and Musiala dazzle to kick-start new Germany era
-
Chinese teenager takes 7th gold of Paris Paralympics
-
England interim boss Carsley 'respects' divided opinions over anthem
-
Neuville moves to the front in the Acropolis Rally
-
Garfield, Pugh charm Toronto in new romance 'We Live in Time'
-
21 boys confirmed dead in Kenya school inferno
-
Over 100,000 protest in France against new prime minister
-
Golden 30 minutes takes China to swimming Paralympics swimming domination
-
Green leads Australia to T20 series sweep of Scotland
-
Nigeria, Cameroon win afer chaotic AFCON build-ups
-
Nicole Kidman: A-lister, cinematic chameleon, wins in Venice
-
'I had to prove myself', says Kolisi after win against All Blacks
-
Almodovar wins top prize at Venice film festival
-
Grealish savours England redemption after 'worst summer'
-
Carsley makes flying start as England interim boss in win over Ireland
-
Springboks close on Rugby Championship with storming win over All Blacks
-
Sri Lanka's De Silva and Kamindu Mendis defy England in third Test
-
Farrell's Racing lose on opening day of Top 14
-
Dunbar takes second Vuelta stage as Roglic closes in on victory
-
Fritz eyes US Open glory to end 21 years of American hurt
-
Thousands protest in France against new prime minister
-
Trump to hold rally in swing state, Harris preps for debate
-
Stone at the double as Sri Lanka collapse against England in third Test
-
French tennis player takes legal action over online abuse
-
Italy backs Kyiv's 'legitimate defence' as Zelensky presses allies
-
The Body Shop rescued from administration after deal
-
Smoke and screams: The horror of Kenya's school dorm inferno
-
MotoGP leader Martin roars to victory in San Marino sprint
-
Ireland and UK to 'reset' relations as Starmer begins Dublin visit
-
Ma Lin turns brutal encounter with bear into glorious Paralympic career
-
Flintoff appointed England Lions head coach
-
Sri Lanka hit back as Pope falls during England collapse in second Test
-
Kyiv hits Russian ammo depot as Moscow advances in east
-
Italy PM states 'determined' support as Zelensky presses allies
![Russia recruiting Syrians to fight in Ukraine, Pentagon says](https://www.portugalcolonial.pt/media/shared/articles/35/2a/68/Russia-recruiting-Syrians-to-fight--624647.jpg)
Russia recruiting Syrians to fight in Ukraine, Pentagon says
Russia is recruiting Syrians and other foreign fighters as it ramps up its assault on Ukraine, the Pentagon said Monday.
Moscow entered the Syrian civil war in 2015 on the side of President Bashar al-Assad's regime, and the country has been mired in a conflict marked by urban combat for more than a decade.
Now, US Department of Defense officials said, Russia's President Vladimir Putin was "on a recruiting mission" seeking to bring some of those fighters into the fray in Ukraine.
According to the Wall Street Journal, US officials said that Russia, which launched an invasion into its Eastern European neighbor on February 24, has in recent days recruited fighters from Syria, hoping they can help take the capital Kyiv and other cities.
One official told the daily that some fighters are already in Russia readying to join the fight in Ukraine, though it was not immediately clear how many combatants have been recruited.
Details were slight: officials would not speculate on how many mercenaries have joined the fight, or on the quality of the fighters, but the Pentagon said there was no reason to doubt the accuracy of the reports.
"We do believe that the accounts of them -- the Russians -- seeking Syrian fighters to augment their forces in Ukraine, we believe there's truth to that," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
But with enormous firepower and more than 150,000 deployed troops at Putin's disposal, the Pentagon said it was noteworthy that he would find it necessary to recruit mercenaries.
"It's interesting that Mr. Putin would have to find himself relying on foreign fighters here," Kirby said, though he acknowledged the Pentagon does not have "perfect visibility" on exactly who was joining the cause.
Earlier Monday, a senior defense official told reporters more directly: "We know that they're trying to recruit Syrians for the fight."
Foreign combatants have already entered the Ukrainian conflict on both sides.
Chechnya strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a former rebel-turned-Kremlin-ally, has shared videos of Chechen fighters joining the attack on Ukraine and said some had been killed in the fighting.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has claimed around 20,000 foreign volunteers have traveled to the country to join Kyiv's forces.
Calling for restraint on all sides in the conflict during a UN Security Council session on Monday, China's ambassador said an already dire situation could only be made worse by shipments of arms to Ukraine, as well as the deployment of "mercenaries," without directly mentioning Russia, a Beijing ally.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in his daily briefing he "had no way of confirming or not confirming" reports of Russia recruiting mercenaries.
But he said the "conflict doesn't need more people coming to the outside," adding that the UN's "focus is on the humanitarian end."
The capital and the second-largest city Kharkiv are still held by Ukraine's government, while Russia has seized the port city of Kherson and stepped up its shelling of urban centers across the country.
Russia's nearly two-week-old assault has seen more than 1.7 million people flee the country in what the UN has called Europe's fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II.
F.Ferraz--PC