Putin approves use of volunteer fighters in Ukraine, as Russia receives 16,000 applications from Middle East

President Vladimir Putin of Russia on Friday supported plans to allow volunteers from any part of the world to fight in Ukraine. Russia has received 16,000 applications from the Middle East for volunteer military enlistment for the war in the Ukraine.

The Russian President had deployed thousands of troops on a “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Putin told Russian Defence, Minister Sergei Shoigu, at a security council meeting: “If you see that there are people who want on a voluntary basis (to help east Ukraine’s separatists), then you need to meet them halfway and help them move to combat zones.”

Shoigu revealed that over 16,000 volunteers, mostly from the Middle East, have applied to join the military action in Ukraine.

Putin also said that Western weapons meant for Ukraine for the ongoing war eventually fall into the hands of Russian forces, saying he would hand over the western weapons to the two separatist regions.

Putin directed the defence minister, Shoigu, provide a separate report on strengthening Russia’s western borders “in connection to the actions that NATO countries are taking in this direction”.

Putin, speaking on the separatist Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics in eastern Ukraine, said: “As for the supply of arms, especially Western-made, which ended up in the hands of the Russian army, of course, I support the possibility of transferring them to the military units of DNR and LNR.”