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| Malaysian and ex-Wagner mercenaries spotted in occupied territories - National Resistance Center |
| 2024-01-26 |
| [Yahoo] Malaysian mercenaries and former Wagner private military company (PMC) fighters have been spotted in the occupied territories of Donetsk Oblast, the National Resistance Center (NRC) reported on Jan. 24, noting that they are currently at a training ground. Cubans, Nepalese, Belarusians, Serbians and representatives of other countries where mercenary activities are formally prohibited have also been repeatedly spotted in the Russian armed forces. Anyone fighting in the Russian army against Ukraine is considered a military target, the NRC reminded, calling on residents of the occupied territories to report information about the enemy and its gathering sites. Russia is actively recruiting Cuban citizens to fight in the war on Ukraine, Reuters reported on Sept. 30. Moscow is paying them a signing bonus of $2,040 (200,000 rubles) – more than 100 times Cuba’s average monthly salary of $17 (4,209 pesos). At least 119 Cubans have already gone to fight in Ukraine. Cuban authorities recently arrested 17 people on charges related to a ring of human traffickers that allegedly lured young Cuban men to fight in Ukraine, Reuters reported on Sept. 8, adding that Cubawas working to "neutralize and dismantle" the network, which it said operated both on Cuban and Russian soil. Nepal has stopped issuing work permits to Russia and Ukraine after several of its citizens were killed in the war, Reuters reported on Jan. 5. Nepal has asked Moscow not to recruit its citizens into the Russian army, to immediately send all Nepalese soldiers back to their country, and to pay compensation to the families of those killed. Russia tries to recruit foreigners for the war against Ukraine to avoid announcing a new mobilization before the presidential elections scheduled for 2024, reported U.K. intelligence on Sep. 3. Russia recruits migrants from Central Asia to participate in combat operations in Ukraine, promising them expedited citizenship and a monthly salary of up to $4,160. Russia planned to recruit an additional 400,000 contract soldiers after its offensive in Ukraine failed. This comes in the wake of significant losses, reported Bloomberg. Kremlin has also begun to "rehabilitate" some elements of Wagner's PMC after the militants' failed rebellion in The mercenaries were issued official documents identifying them as combat veterans. Wagner PMC has also been incorporated into the command structure of the Russian Guard. All units have been reformatted. Fighters who sign a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry or Rosgvardia now serve in the army or other "private military companies,” a representative of the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), Vadym Skibitsky, has said. |
| Posted by:Skidmark |