In Iraq, hundreds of fighters were trained to participate in the Russian war against Ukraine

Almost 600 fighters were trained in Iraq to participate in Russiaʼs war against Ukraine.

"Babel" was informed by intelligence sources that their training is already over. These are fighters from Hash al-Shaabi, who fought on the side of the Iraqi government against the Islamic State, and later came under the direct influence of Iranʼs Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

At the same time, the search for those willing to take part in the war continues in the country. Recruiters conduct an open advertising campaign, and on the streets of Baghdad you can see propaganda posters about "joint victory".

Hash al-Shaabi is a coalition of disparate "peopleʼs militias" created in 2014 by the Iraqi government to counter the Islamic State. The United States has recognized some leaders of groups that are part of "Hash al-Shaabi" as terrorists.

• Last April, The New York Times reported that 300 Syrian mercenaries had arrived in Russia for military training and sending them to war against Ukraine. And the General Staff of Ukraine also reported that mercenaries from the countries of the Middle East would be involved in the fighting. Mercenaries arrive in Belarus and the Russian Federation. Earlier, the media wrote that Russia hired Hezbollah fighters for the war in Ukraine — they agreed to hire 800 fighters.
• Meanwhile, The Jerusalem Post wrote that Palestinians living in Lebanon agreed to fight in Ukraine on the side of Russia for $350. An interlocutor from the Lebanese Security Service also noted that the recruitment of Palestinians and other people is being coordinated by the Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah. Also, according to the source, Hezbollah is recruiting drone operators and people with experience in guerrilla warfare to help the Russians.
• On April 21, 2022, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, stated that in the east, the fighters of the Armed Forces destroyed a detachment of Libyans and Syrians.
• In November 2022, Russia sent more than 500 Syrian fighters to Ukraine. They mainly perform non-combat tasks, for example, guarding facilities in Luhansk and Donetsk.