Russian Website Calls For Volunteers For Russia's Military Activity In Syria.

Russian Website Calls For Volunteers For Russia's Military Activity In Syria. MEMRI.

A Russian website, Dobrovolec.org, has posted a call for volunteers to enlist for Russia's military activity in Syria.

Dobrovolec was founded in the winter of 2014, during the Crimean crisis, and at that time called for volunteers to enlist for military activity in Ukraine. It describes itself as non-profit "military volunteer movement" that is not affiliated with any political, religious or commercial organization.

Its "About Us" section states: "Our initiative was founded as a project to promote the organization of self-defense units during the events of the 'Russian Spring' in Crimea and eastern Ukraine... Our activity is not limited to the conflicts in Novorossiya–Ukraine; currently we are actively participating in organizing a volunteer movement in Syria…"

The website also states that it is not in the business of recruiting mercenaries, because this contravenes Russian law. However, in its call for volunteers to fight in Syria, it states that enlistment will be "contract-based."

"We hereby announce that we are enlisting volunteers to participate in special activities as part of the Russian mission aimed at stabilizing the situation in the [Middle East] region, protecting important facilities, and strengthening Russia's military-political presence in Syria in order to prevent the formation there of a pro-American or extremist religious regime that will threaten the entire civilized world.

It should be noted that Admiral Vladimir Komoyedov, head of the armed forces committee in Russia’s parliament, did not rule out that a Russian volunteer unit, including fighters who gained experience in Donbass (in eastern Ukraine), may join the Syrian government forces. Read the full story here.