Syrian mercenaries “disappear” in Luhansk region: Ukraine claims Russia uses them in “meat assaults”

The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine reported the information.

“The war-torn, poverty-stricken Syria has become one of the countries where Russia is actively recruiting men to fight. The mercenaries are promised Russian passports and paid work, after which few of them return,” the Intelligence Service noted.

According to the report, the use of mercenaries from Syria as cannon fodder is confirmed by the stories of two Syrians: Mohammed Mansour and Waheed Mursal al-Shibli. Both were part of the occupying Russian forces in the Luhansk region.

In July 2024, Mansour, along with 14 other Syrian mercenaries, took part in an assault near Svatove. During the attack, the group came under Ukrainian fire, and when Mansour was injured, Russian troops refused to evacuate him.

Subsequently, Mansour fled the battlefield, while the remaining mercenaries, who were unable to evacuate, were reported missing.

Another Syrian mercenary, Waheed Mursal al-Shibli, died in September 2024 during an assault on Ukrainian positions. He was part of a group of 7 mercenaries that was defeated. Al-Shibli died of his injuries because the Russian military refused to evacuate him. The fate of the rest of the Syrian fighters is unknown.

• Earlier, it was reported that the Russian army was engaging foreign volunteers, including Egyptian citizens, in the assault in Vovchansk.