Title: War – Wikipedia”>Russia‘s Shadow Army: Recruiting Arabs and Africans for Ukraine War
In the shadowy corners of the internet, a Russian woman is busy at work, her Telegram channel a beacon for the disaffected and desperate from the Middle East and North Africa. She’s not offering jobs, education, or a better life in Russia—she’s offering war in Ukraine, promising Russian citizenship, money, and glory in return for blood and sweat.
The Recruiter
Her username is "Veronika Russia," and she’s been at this for over a year, her channel amassing almost 10,000 subscribers. She’s a Russian woman, likely in her thirties, with a penchant for cleavage-baring tops and a Rasputin-like gaze. She signs off her posts with " Vera❤️🇷🇺," a heart, and a Russian flag emoji, her endgame clear: recruiting as many foreign fighters as possible for the war in Ukraine.
The Pitch
Veronika’s pitch is simple andباشد lucrative. She promises upwards of 5 million rubles (over $65,000 USD) for frontline duty, with regular payments, a Russian passport after six months or a year of service, and family reunification. She also offers free travel, accommodation, and medical care.
Her channel is a Rolodex of brutal war imagery, interspersed with selfies of her with new recruits, many of them young men from across the Middle East and North Africa. There are videos of them training, clashes on the battlefield, and even a dance-off between Russian and Syrian soldiers.
The Reality
But the reality is far removed from Veronika’s glossy recruitment drive. Syr Cuban refugees who spoke to Dagbladet painted a grim picture. They signed up for work as security guards but ended up on the frontlines, equipped with minimal training and outdated weapons. They complain about late or missing payments, and even acts of betrayal, with their passports being withheld.
One Syrian man, who goes by the name Abu Adam, told Dagbladet, "We are being used. They knew we were desperate for money and now they are surprised when we ask for it."
The Numbers
The scale of Veronika’s operation is unclear, but it’s likely substantial. In March 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted of plans to recruit 16,000 fighters from the Middle East. Exact numbers are difficult to come by, and there’s speculation that many of those who signed up never made it to the front.
Regardless, Russia’s continued reliance on foreign fighters raises serious questions about the state of its own military and the long-term implications for the war in Ukraine. As Veronika continues to recruit, the shadow army grows, its ultimate fate and impact on the conflict uncertain.
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