IRIA News

Exclusive – By Akhtar Jamal

Major parties actively involved in Ukraine’s confrontation are now secretly hiring paid soldiers, professional mercenaries from Europe as well as Islamic militants from the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia.

Reports reaching from embattled Ukraine confirmed that several dozen fighters from Islamic countries have been hired by third parties to fight for and against Ukraine. Many of those militants have been hired by private security agencies working on contracts with different governments.

While private security companies linked with U.S. and UK have been encouraging experienced fighters and veterans from the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa to join as ‘volunteers’ for Ukraine, while the Russians have approved high payments for volunteers from Chechnya, Dagestan, and Ingushetia.

Social media reports claimed that Ukrainian missions in several European cities are offering at least US$5000 per month to anyone ready to volunteer to “defend Ukraine from foreign forces”. The offer is too lucrative for many Asian and African nationals facing deportations from Europe. Ukrainian social media has reported that many Asians, even Indian Hindus, who are unable to leave war zones accepted ‘the golden opportunity’ to earn money.

On March 11, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu officially proposed the use of more than 16,000 people, mostly from the Middle East, who Russians say “have appealed to join the fighting” in Ukraine.

Reports from Ukraine confirmed that hundreds of volunteers from the Chechen Republic were already engaged in Ukraine as part of Russian invading forces.

Following Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, hundreds of Muslims from Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Dagestan were sent to Ukraine along with Russian troops.

Reliable sources claim that at least over a hundred Muslim militants are being used by both warring parties in Ukraine. Such a move will certainly inject a new life into ISIS which has killed thousands of Muslims in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other Islamic countries.

Separately on March 3, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said: “I wish to make an official statement that none of the mercenaries the West is sending to Ukraine to fight for the nationalist regime in Kiev can be considered as combatants in accordance with international humanitarian law or enjoy the status of prisoners of war,” Konashenkov stressed.

Konashenkov also warned that foreign mercenaries who have been detained by Russian forces in Ukraine would be brought to justice on criminal charges.

IRIA sources confirmed that earlier this month a U.S.-based corporation posted a job advertisement on online platforms offering $1,000 to $2,000 per day to prospective candidates with military experience to fight in Ukraine under the disguise of “Extraction/Protective Agents”.

The job description required that candidates must have “prior experience in conducting advance operations in support of private security, private military, or military sectors” as well as “acquaintance with vehicle, aircraft, and naval craft recognition skills of Soviet-era and NATO military armament”.

According to sources, Middle Eastern and Central Asian contractors with dual citizenship have also been hired by the U.S. and British firms to fight in Ukraine. The source stated that “Thousands of volunteers, professional soldiers, and militants have been offered jobs in Ukraine”.

American private military company Academi (previously known as Blackwater and Xe Services) founded by Eric Prince and British G4S Gurkha Services have long been accused of hiring and training foreign fighters from Iraq to Afghanistan and Libya.

The Russian Wagner Group, active in Syria and Mali, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin (group’s owner), Lt. Col. Dmitry Utkin (group’s founder and veteran of Chechen wars), and Col. Konstantin Pikalov, is also believed to be in Ukraine’s territory. Wagner group has now recruited “Muslim men from Syria said to have volunteered to fight for Russia in Ukraine as Russian forces have defended Syria”.

In case the Ukraine war is prolonged and warring parties continue to hire foreign fighters, a situation similar to Syria might be created in the heart of Europe.