 On Moscow's orders, Syrians are tricked and brought to Russia, where they are forced to join army. The Russian authorities have been coercing refugees from Middle Eastern and African countries into fighting in the war against Ukraine, according to a new investigation by Novaya Gazeta. They reportedly do this by tricking the migrants with the help of the same intermediaries who have helped them send other refugees into EU countries through Russia and Belarus in recent years. Often the middlemen are from the same countries as the refugees themselves. Novaya Gazeta identified the man responsible for recruiting Syrians to come to Russia as Wasim al-Dimashki, a Syrian man who previously worked as a recruiter for the Wagner Group. He lures Syrians to Russia by offering them jobs, guarding gold and diamond mines in Yakusha, promising them salaries of around $2,000 a month. The last group he sent consisted of 40 people. Al-Dimashki receives around $337 for each person he recruits, according to the investigation. After arriving in Moscow, the recruits are reportedly met by another Syrian man named Akram Dib-Taraf. According to Novaya Gazeta, he receives $320,000 rubles or $3,540 for each person who signs a contract with the Defense Ministry, though it's unclear who pays him. From Moscow, the Syrian recruits are sent to Yakusha where they're split into two groups. One of the groups is sent south to Ulan-Ude for professional military training, while the others are sent to a field camp in Western Russia where they're trained as infantrymen. Despite not speaking Russian, the men are given contracts to sign in Russian after which they're issued Russian passports.