Media: Russia pays Palestinian youth to fight against Ukraine

Lebanon government security source has told The Media Line that young Palestinian men are being paid $350 per month to enlist in the Russian military, while elite Syrian troops are also being recruited in a display of loyalty for aid in the civil war.

The source added that the recruitment effort is being carried out by activists affiliated with the Palestinian embassy in Lebanon.

Most of those enlisting were born after 1969, as those born after this point onwards do not have proper registration with the Lebanese authorities, making it easier to travel for the purpose of participating in the conflict as mercenaries.

As a result, the Lebanese government lacks the ability to monitor or track the movements of these Palestinian recruits for Russia.

The majority of the Palestinians being deployed to the frontlines in Ukraine hail from Ein Al-Khalwa, the largest Palestine refugee camp in Lebanon, just south of the port city of Sidon.

The recruits are reportedly members of the Fatah political movement, which is led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as other organizations such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

The individuals reportedly receive a monthly stipend and compensation for their families in exchange for agreeing to participate in the conflict in Ukraine on behalf of Russian forces.

The Lebanese security source indicated that the recruitment of Palestinians and others is being carried out in coordination with the Lebanese-based, Iranian-backed Hezbollah organization.

According to the source, Hezbollah is also actively enlisting young supporters, including those skilled in operating drones and individuals with expertise in guerrilla warfare in urban areas, to assist the Russians in the war in Ukraine.

Riad Kahwaji, a prominent and veteran Lebanese researcher in security and defence affairs, who resides in Dubai, told The Media Line that the recruitment of Palestinians from Lebanon is not unfathomable.

“I do not have specific information on this subject, but I am not surprised that it happened because the situation in the camps is miserable… and there are no jobs for young people,” he said.

“It is not surprising that they were recruited to work with the Russians in return for paying them salaries because the camp environment is open to such possibilities,” Kahwaji said.

It is not clear exactly how many Palestinians have been recruited to fight for Russia, but it is thought that approximately 300 individuals have already completed rapid training in Russia and been deployed to the frontlines.