New Delhi, Mar 13 (IANS): Russia has opened 14 mercenary recruitment centres in Syria and is also training mercenaries from Libya.

This was reported by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

"Putin's Russia has opened 14 recruitment centres for mercenaries in Syria in the territories controlled by the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. After a short training, the mercenaries will be transported to Russia through the Khmeimim airbase by two Tu-134 aircraft which can carry up to 80 passengers and Tu-154 (up to 180 passengers) to the Chkalovsky airbase, Moscow region", UNIAN reported.

Intelligence notes that in recent days, Russia has already gathered thousands of Syrian mercenaries into the ranks of the occupying forces, in particular, these are members of the so-called "National Defense Militia" and units of the 5th Corps of the Syrian Armed Forces. It is assumed that the Syrians will use heavy artillery and sniper weapons against the Ukrainians.

The report says that information has been confirmed about the preparation by Russia of mercenaries from Libya to be involved in hostilities in Ukraine.

"Russia will pay foreign mercenaries a monthly salary of between $300 and $600," Ukrainian intelligence reports.

As UNIAN reported earlier, the Russian Federation overturned part of the "peacekeeping" contingent from Nagorno-Karabakh (Azerbaijan) to Ukraine.