By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON (AA) - Russia is in the midst of efforts to recruit Syrians to fight on its behalf in Ukraine, a senior defense official said on Monday.
The official, who briefed reporters on a conference call on condition of anonymity, said the Kremlin is "trying to recruit Syrians" to aid its war effort, confirming media reporting from the weekend on the matter.
Russia has been seeking to utilize the expertise of Syrian fighters in urban warfare to "deal a devastating blow to the Ukraine government," the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. It said the actual number of recruited Syrians remains unclear, but added that "some are already in Russia preparing to enter the conflict."
Russia has reportedly offered between $200 and $300 to Syrians to go to Ukraine for six months.
Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24 has drawn international condemnation, led to financial sanctions on Moscow, and spurred an exodus of global companies from Russia. The West has also imposed biting export restrictions on key technologies that are now prohibited from being sent to Russia.
At least 406 civilians have been killed and 801 others injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, according to UN figures. But the international body has maintained that conditions on the ground have made it "difficult to verify" the true number of civilian casualties.
More than 1.7 million people have also fled to neighboring countries, the UN Refugee Agency said.
*Kasim Ileri contributed to this report