Moscow is recruiting Syrians with expertise in urban combat to fight in Ukrainian cities, US officials said, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

Russia, which entered the Syrian civil war in 2015, is hoping the Syrian soldiers’ skill in urban combat can aid them in taking over Kyiv, the seat of the Ukrainian government.

According to one US official, some Syrian combatants are already in Russia, preparing to enter Ukraine.

Russia previously hired Chechen combatants, who were reportedly tasked with assassinating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his family members and other prominent Ukrainian figures. One group of Chechen soldiers was eliminated by Ukrainian forces.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)