[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] Foreign media reported on the 18th (local time) that a large number of Syrian troops are expected to be deployed in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
According to the Associated Press, experts predict that as Russia prepares for an all-out war in eastern Ukraine, Syrian troops are likely to be deployed in the area within weeks.
The recent appointment of General Alexander Dvornikov, who previously commanded Russian forces in Syria, as the overall commander of the Ukraine war, also supports this claim. General Dvornikov was dispatched in 2015 as the commander of Russian support forces aiding Bashar Assad's regime during the Syrian civil war.
Ahmad Hamada, a former Syrian soldier now working as a military analyst in Turkey, said, "Russia is preparing for a larger battle, and it seems Syrian troops will participate."
Syrian monitoring groups claim that Russia is actively recruiting troops in Syria, especially targeting those with training experience in Russia.
Rami Abdulrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, estimated that so far 22,000 people have registered with the Russian military and 18,000 with the Russian private military company Wagner Group.
Abdulrahman specifically mentioned that in recent weeks, 700 members of Syria's elite "Tiger Forces," known as the 25th Special Mission Forces, have left Syria to fight alongside Russian troops. However, AP reported that the authenticity of this claim has not been verified.
Earlier this month, John Kirby, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, stated that although there is no specific information, signs have been detected that the Wagner Group is attempting to recruit fighters mainly from the Middle East to deploy in the Donbas region.
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