Kiev, Mar 14 (IANS): Recruitment centres for mercenaries have been opened in Syria, where over a thousand people have been recruited in recent days and about 400 people have already arrived in Russia, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces.

Camps have been set up near the Ukrainian border in Russia's Rostov and Gomel regions for their accommodation and training, UNIAN reported.

"The Russian occupiers continue to accumulate reserves on their territory for waging war against Ukraine," it said.

According to Ukraine's armed forces of Ukraine, detachments of Syrian mercenaries are now being formed, "who are ready to carry out the criminal orders of Russian commanders for a reward".

Russia has opened 14 mercenary recruitment centres in Syria and is also training mercenaries from Libya, the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defence said.

"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.