Ukraine's Intelligence Reveals Russia's Scheme to Lure Syrians as “Cannon Fodder”

On September 17, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) reported that Russia is luring men from Syria, using them as cannon fodder in the battles in eastern Ukraine.

This was stated by HUR on their official social media account.

"Russia has established a scheme with travel companies to dupe Syrians for the war against Ukraine. First, poor people are offered jobs as security guards in Russian oil regions, and then they are lured with a higher salary" to fight the war against Ukraine, HUR said on social media. Syrian nationals are also promised Russian passports.

HUR says Syrian mercenaries are then reportedly used as cannon fodder in mass infantry attacks and are being rejected evacuation when wounded, and mentions the stories of 2 Syrians who fought alongside Russia against Ukraine and were killed. 

Mohammed Mansour and Wahid Mursal Al-Shibli fought against Ukraine as part of the 488th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 144th Motorized Rifle Division of the Russian occupation army (military unit 12721).

In July 2024, Russia sent Mansour as part of a squad of 14 Syrian mercenaries to an assault near the city of Svatove in the Luhansk region. After being covered with fire by Ukrainian forces, the Russian forces rejected the request to evacuate the wounded.

According to HUR, Mansour was wounded and fled from the battlefield. The rest of the mercenary detachment was destroyed and were registered as missing.

Al-Shibli was deployed in the Luhansk region as part of a seven-member squad. HUR reported that he was injured in battle and died without receiving medical care.

There are established facts of recruitment into the Russian army of citizens of Nepal, India, Syria, Serbia, and Somalia.