The leader of the National Defense Militia in the town of al-Suqaylabiyah in the Hama countryside, Nabel al-Abdullah, announced his support for Russia in the invasion of Ukraine, appreciating what he described as the friendship between Bashar al-Assad and Vladimir Putin.
In a statement carried out by pro-government media, he said the Assad regime was one of the first supporters of the independence of two regions from Ukraine.
Abdullah praised the Russian military’s fighting capability, and what he called the Russian president’s statesmanship in political and economic issues, and that he was able to change the world’s dominant unipolar policy.
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According to sources for Baladi News, the Russian base Of Hemeimeem asked Abdullah to register the names of members wishing to go to Russia to fight in its ranks in Ukraine. The members would go under semi-annual contracts providing for the dispatch of the mercenary to guard public and military facilities, with a monthly salary of $1,500.
The sources added that Abdullah and other mediators started a campaign to convince young people to go and fight in Ukraine alongside the Russians. However, there is a lack in the willingness to register and fight alongside the Russians in Ukraine after they implicated soldiers to fight in Libya and returned without giving them the amounts agreed upon in their contracts.
On Monday, the National Defense Militia in Suqaylabiyah and Mhardeh organized a ceremony in front of the Church of Hagia Sophia in Suqaylabiyah. Celebrations came in support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where Christian clerics participated in the celebration which was covered dramatically by Russian television.
Last Friday, activists circulated a picture showing the leaders of the National Defense Militia in Suqaylabiyah and a pig with the name Zelensky written on its body.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
