Russia is trying to recruit former Afghan commandos for the war in Ukraine.
Foreign Policy writes about this, referring to its sources.
These are former servicemen of the Commandos Corps, the most combat-capable unit of the Afghan army, trained by American and British instructors. Fighters began to receive messages from Russian recruiters promising them a generous reward for participating in the war against Ukraine.
It is not known on whose behalf the recruiters are acting, but sources suggest that the PMC “Wagner” is behind it. The former commando captain said that he helped several former colleagues contact the recruiter, and he arranged for them to fly to Tehran, where his office is located, and from there to Russia.
The magazine explains that there may be up to 30 000 former commandos in Afghanistan who failed to evacuate after the arrival of the Taliban. Interlocutors say that not all fighters are ready to fight on the side of Russia, which they consider an enemy, but the desperate situation forces some fighters to do so.