Russia lures in Arab fighters, then sends them to Ukraine front lines

Beirut – The advertisement was clear: in the “Special Military Operation Zone – – that is, in the war in Ukraine – a year to fight on the side of Russia for a year and citizenship, free health, money and land.

Shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin decided that foreign nationals who fought in the ranks of the army would receive a passport for themselves and their families, the message platform that began in 2024 was one of the many promotions in Telegram. Since then, travel agencies and brokers have attracted people from all over the world to participate in what Russia calls “distinguished international battalion ve and provided a series of benefits to attract recruitment.

For Raed Hammad, a 54 -year -old Jordanian man who worked as a taxi driver until he was able to sit in a car seat all day, Raed Hammad, he seemed an opportunity he could never find in his own country. A Russian businesswoman in the telegram ad in the Telegram commercial contacted Polina Alexandrovna and sent her passport information. In August he received a visa and flight ticket and flew to Moscow.

(Other media reports put Alexandrovna’s surname as azarnykh.

His wife Lamees Hammad, a crying video address on social media in September, “sick 54 -year -old, he had difficulty finding a job in Jordan. When he found this job and they accepted him with a very attractive salary and benefits, he did not think twice,” he said. Lamees Hammad because of his age, he assumed that his husband would work as a driver or cook; He insisted that he had repeatedly approved that he would not serve on the front with Alexandrovna.

Lamees Hammad said, çalışma He wanted to provide our children and give them what he could not give in the past, ”Lamees Hammad said. Hammad is the father of four sons who are 13 years old.

However, days after signing a 17-page army agreement that Hammad could not read, he was rejected from a Russian translator and he was not able to translate using his phone according to his wife.

Lamees Hammad added that Hammad was in contact with Alexandrovna and said that he should be begging to bend to break his contract.

It is difficult to come to the right figures, but it is clear that Hammad is not alone in fighting Russia’s posters, and the estimates put the number of foreign fighters into the Russian army in tens of thousands of ranks. Many of them come from disadvantaged countries in the Middle East, Africa and South and East Asia.

It is thought that approximately 2,000 Iraqis have been admired, but the press reports show thousands of people from Egypt, Algeria, Yemen and Jordan. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, a significant number of Nepal, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Cuba and Syria are no longer allowed to participate.

Foreigners also served on the opposite side, Ukrainian officials said that approximately 20,000 fighters from 50 countries have joined Ukraine’s international legion, including approximately 3,000 Iraqis.

In the Russian army, most of the registered foreigners first came to Russia as a student, but visas passed and they don’t want to return home. An important number goes to Moscow with tourist visas after being approved by the army. After entering Russia, they visit the offices of companies such as Alexandrovna and sign a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry; Others are met by a broker and a Russian officer at the airport.

The proposals vary, but recruitment can receive a signing bonus of 1.5 million rubles (about $ 17,000) and receive a monthly salary of $ 2,500 to $ 3,500, a amount that changes life in countries such as Egypt, where the average salary exceeds $ 300.

The training lasts four to six weeks and includes language training for foreigners to follow the basic commands in Russia. They receive citizenship immediately after joining and a two -week two -week paid holiday is given to their one -year deployment. If they are killed or injured, their families may demand money and citizenship.

Among the recruitment ads in Arabic and other languages, Alexandrovna’s channel maintains a stable task rhythm praising the Russian army’s victories in Ukraine.

Alexandrovna appears in several photographs taken by recruitment while first landing on Russia; Others depict foreign soldiers after receiving their citizenship, smiling on the camera and proudly showing their passports. His customers mostly come from the Arab world and from Africa regions.

“Each of my soldiers is a source of pride,” he wrote in an article that they added “victory from Ukraine to Neo-Nazis”.

“Every soldier must defend Russia’s new homeland proudly and steadily, because Russia becomes a new homeland for each of them!” Writes.

Despite the risks, there is no lack of attention: Alexandrovna’s “Friend of Russia ve and a look at the Telegram channel containing a picture of Putin shows more than 22,000 subscribers. Another channel ruled by an Iraqi man who called him Bahjat has about 30,000.

ABBAS ABBASS supporters, who have been working in the Russian army for three years but now work as a broker and answer questions about the deployments on the Tiktok channel and ask how quickly visa and chat conversations ask about how quickly they can travel.

When Times contacted, Alexandrovna refused to give incorrect information to recruitment, but did not answer detailed questions about Hammad. However, it is not clear how Hammad will serve in the rear positions: Most of the ads on Alexandrovna’s channel, foreigners should openly fight in Ukraine, say that they do not have to participate as a driver or cooking, and these decisions are made by the Ministry of Defense.

E-VISA form gives information about military experience. Speaking only on the condition that he gave his first name, Bahjat said the Russian army should wait for the war to enter the war and that the breaking of the contract was imprisoned.

“What, you think a country will give you money and citizenship, so you come and cook?” He said in a Whatsapp conversation.

“I will give you this straight to you. Everyone who comes here goes to the front and war. Everyone is said to be ridiculous.”

The Ministry of Jordan did not answer questions about Hammad, but law experts say that they have made little applications to send their citizens back if governments have signed a contract, and they cannot prove that they are under pressure.

Lamees Hammad begs to communicate with the King of Jordan Abdullah and the government officials and the Russian Foreign Ministry and to bring her husband home. In the meantime, however, he said that the Jordanian government hopes that at least he would prevent telegraph channels such as Alexandrovna to prevent Hammad from following the steps of Hammad.

“People should know if they do this,” he said, “They go to their deaths.”