The Saudi newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported this morning (Saturday) that the war in Ukraine has become a new target for young Syrians, who are forced to "escape from hell" in search of solutions to their livelihood and security difficulties, to become mercenaries.
According to the publication, mediators in Damascus and in areas under the Assad regime's rule have begun to sign Syrian youths to fight alongside the Russian army in Ukraine.
The list of new recruits includes about 23,000 young Syrians who fought alongside Assad regime forces as part of the Al-Bustan militia.
The same militia was identified with Syrian businessman Rami Makhlouf, a former ally of Bashar Assad.
It will be recalled that Makhlouf quarreled with Assad and against this background the militia was dispersed.
Russia's war on Ukraine has deepened the crisis in Syria, as Kyiv and Moscow are a major source of food imports.
According to al-Sharq al-Awsat, this situation encouraged military officials in Damascus and elsewhere to market contracts for the employment of mercenaries.
Thus, for example, a contract quoted in the newspaper states that each mercenary will receive a sum worth $ 7,000 for a period of seven months of "facility security" in Ukraine.
The first condition is not to return to Syria for the seven months of the contract.
The second condition is that the Syrian government is not a party to the contract.
In a situation where the fighter was killed in the war - he will not be treated by the Assad regime's space fund, but will be considered dead whose family does not enjoy compensation.
However, the contract may allow young Syrians to postpone their enlistment in the Assad army.
Meanwhile, the Saudi newspaper stressed that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told Assad at their meeting before the start of the invasion of Ukraine that one should wait for an attack on northern Idlib because Russia is busy with Ukraine and does not want to anger Turkey.
This is against the background of a ceasefire agreement signed two years ago between Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The agreement referred to the Idlib province where most of the Syrian opposition forces were concentrated.
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