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Syrians, Egyptians, Iraqis, and individuals from Central Asia are the backbone of the mercenary fighters brought by Russia to assist in its battles against Ukraine. Many of them have been placed at the forefront of the Ukrainian-Russian front lines, where the Czech-Slovak Institute of Oriental Studies obtained exclusive information indicating the death of several Syrian and Egyptian fighters at the Soledar front in 2023, a devastated city adjacent to Bakhmut Raion, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine.
According to a source close to the family of one of the deceased, the families of the victims received an amount of 8,000 dollars in March 2024 as financial compensation for the death of that fighter. According to friends of the deceased, the families of the victims are being manipulated by the intermediaries responsible for recruitment, as the contract written in Russian states that the salary of the contracted fighter is 7,000 dollars, which is received in two installments: the first is 2,000 dollars before traveling, and the second, after seven months, is 5,000 dollars, with the possibility of extending the contract. The contract also includes compensation of 15,000 dollars in the event of death. However, the intermediaries responsible for the recruitment process steal the money, claiming that the majority of contracts were made through security companies linked to the Wagner Group, which changed its policy after the death of its leader and its integration into the Russian army. In reality, the families of the victims have no means to resort to courts, and the language barrier hinders any possibility of claiming the actual agreed-upon compensations. It is also noteworthy that many recruits do not keep copies of their employment contracts, nor did they leave copies with their families to prove their official contracts with these companies.
Additionally, foreign mercenaries in Russian security companies are not all fighters; some are designated for patrolling military units, while others are responsible for patrolling neighborhoods in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions to maintain security alongside Russian patrols. The majority are assigned to salt mines where Ukrainian opponents may hide; this group is non-combatant and generally consists of individuals who do not speak Russian well. Those who are proficient in Russian are placed on the front lines of battle and receive higher financial incentives.
Since the end of November 2023, it has been observed that the majority of new recruits from the Middle East are being transported to Moscow via Latakia Airport (Khmeimim Air Base). From Moscow Airport, they contact their families, then are flown to an unknown military airport, where communication is cut off. Most of the Egyptians are originally recruited to fight within the Wagner militia in Libya, and those who decide to continue serving in the Russian army are transferred to the Syrian port of Tartus, from where they are taken to Khmeimim Air Base, eventually reaching Moscow. Recently, it has been required that contracted recruits master some Russian phrases to demonstrate their serious readiness to responsibly handle the tasks assigned to them.
Now, since the moment of official contracting, mobile phones have been taken from the recruits and are not returned to them even in Russia. In 2022, several mercenaries published videos from inside Russian military bases, revealing they received Russian documents. They must also cover their heads with a woolen hoodie that leaves only their eyes, nose, and mouth exposed, thus concealing their identities. These videos caused a significant media uproar against Russia, prompting President Putin in May 2023 to openly announce the acceptance of volunteers from around the world into his army, with the opportunity for them to obtain citizenship.
This official Russian announcement turned the issue of recruiting mercenaries into a profession for various intermediaries contracting with security companies affiliated with the Russian army. In Cuba, recruits receive higher amounts than fighters from the Middle East, with monthly salaries reaching $2,500. According to a report by Business Insider[1], Cuban contractors receive an initial payment of $2,000 upon signing the contract.
The military secrecy policy of the Russians is largely successful. After the significant media noise that followed the Russians due to the release of some videos and the awareness of the number of foreign recruits involved with the Wagner militia, the Russian military leadership decided to transfer all contractors they wished to recruit militarily, or even to protect military facilities, to training camps at Tiksi Air Base[2] (Аэродром Тикси) in Siberia. This Russian strategy provided several key points, including:
1. Isolation and ensuring no communication with relatives: Bases like Tiksi are large and far from cities, with strict surveillance systems. It is difficult for any foreign mercenary to leave the base to obtain a mobile phone to communicate with their family or even to access news from outside the Russian media system.
2. Getting used to the cold climate: Most recruits come from temperate or hot regions, so their acclimatization over a period of four to six months in a cold climate will be beneficial for them to adjust to a warmer climate than Siberia, which is the relatively cold front lines of Ukraine compared to their home countries. According to leaks from Egyptian mercenaries, a portion of the mercenaries is transferred after a month from Siberia to Russian military bases in northern Mongolia, where the climate is closer to that of Ukraine.
3. Testing the fighter's resilience: Psychological preparation is important in combat. During four to six months of physical and military training in an isolated area, friendships are formed among foreign mercenaries and Russian army fighters. This enhances the spirit of teamwork between the two sides and strengthens the fighter's resilience in battles.
4. Language strengthening: Recruits undergo Russian language enhancement classes so they can operate Russian equipment and understand the orders of their Russian superiors.
All these factors have made Siberia a primitive site for preparing mercenary fighters. After a period, the fighters are distributed to several bases, including the Zabaykalsky Military Base[3] (Забайкальская военная база), and the Kansk Air Base[4] (Авиабаза Канск) in Krasnoyarsk Krai, to train for various missions. This strategy seems to be largely successful, as after the integration of the foreign mercenaries trained in Siberia and northern Mongolia into the Russian-Ukrainian battles, it was observed that they did not post any videos about their new lives or their deployment locations on social media, giving the impression of a military commitment imposed on them.
From another perspective, the delayed integration of mercenaries into combat may represent a new Russian security strategy aimed at monitoring them and ensuring they do not collaborate with international entities that could leak information about the bases and the nature of their training. This approach seeks to prevent any military surprises, similar to those that occurred following the Wagner Group's mutiny against the Russian army.
This strategy also provides a sense of satisfaction for the mercenary fighter, as they know that the Russian army will not abandon them in the front lines as the Wagner militia did. This mercenary has undergone extensive training for several months, and the Russian goal is to transform them into a killing machine devoid of human emotions.
Russia's project of recruiting mercenary fighters gives the impression that the Russians are continuing their war against Ukraine, exploiting their vast geography to prepare many of them for military engagement to compensate for the significant human losses in the army. Effectively eradicating this project is almost impossible, as the Russians exploit the poverty in many troubled countries or those whose governments have ideologies opposed to the United States. Thus, we see the Ukrainian-Russian war as a global conflict, and the Western camp should seriously consider excluding governments supportive of Moscow, such as Iran, Iraq, and Syria, and assist in preparing governments that have the authority to criminalize the recruitment practices that Moscow has invented in those countries.
[1] Cuban immigrants are joining the Russian army to fight in Ukraine in exchange for citizenship, a report says/ ALIA SHOAIB/ 28 May 2023
https://africa.businessinsider.com/military-and-defense/cuban-immigrants-are-joining-the-russian-army-to-fight-in-ukraine-in-exchange-for/3b8k25e
[2] Tiksi Air Base: (Аэродром Тикси) Tiksi (Yakutia, Sakha Republic) played an important role in securing Arctic air space and fortifying Russia’s northern coast. Geographically, Tiksi is approximately 2,600 kilometers from the United States (Alaska). Ice Curtain: Tiksi Airbase—Many Russian Announcements, Little Equipment/ Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Heather A. Conley, and Matthew Melino/ March 2020
[3] Zabaykalsky Military Base: (Забайкальская военная база) Zabaykalsky Krai is a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, in the Transbaikal Region, which borders on Mongolia and Chinese Inner Mongolia about 1,000km due north of Beijing.
[4] Kansk Air Base: ("Авиабаза Канск", "Аэродром Канск) Approximately 9 kilometers south of the city of Kansk in Krasnoyarsk Krai.
