Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

After reports emerged Russia was set to send Syrian fighters to Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Friday that Presiden Putin had backed the plan.

"Most of those who want and who asked to fight are citizens of Middle East countries and Syrians," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

The development comes amid fierce fighting between Ukrainian forces and the Russian Army. Reports claim the Russian forces have moved near the capital city amid heavy bombardment in the suburbs.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ukraine-claims-to-capture-russias-pantsir-s1-missile-system-is-it-a-rich-catch-461275">Also Read in Pics:&nbsp;Ukraine claims to capture Russia's Pantsir-S1 missile system; is it a rich catch?</a>

Russia's defence minister reportedly claimed 16,000 volunteers from the Middle East were ready to fight in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia continued its attack on various cities targeting the central city of Dnipro including Kharkiv.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said trucks carrying food and medicine to Mariupol was hit by Russian tanks even as the city's mayor said over 1,000 civilians were killed amid constant Russian shelling.

Watch:&nbsp;All Russian banks, payment cards and ATM's blocked

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://www.wionews.com/videos/all-russian-banks-payment-cards-and-atms-blocked-sanctions-take-a-toll-on-russian-abroad-wion-461180/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Ukrainian authorities have evacuated people in large numbers from cities hit by Russian attacks as President Zelensky informed that at least 100,000 people have evacuated from areas surrounding Kyiv which has come under heavy fire from Russian forces in the last few days.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-ukraine-then-and-now-images-from-1970s-and-after-russian-invasion-461073">In Pics | Ukraine then and now, images from 1970s and after Russian invasion</a>

Fighting is also continuing in Chernihiv, Severodonetsk in the east even as Russia promised open humanitarian corridors for civilians every day. The UN said over two and a half million people have aleady fled the country since President Putin's forces attacked Ukraine on February 24.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. After reports emerged Russia was set to send Syrian fighters to Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Friday that Presiden Putin had backed the plan. "Most of those who want and who asked to fight are citizens of Middle East countries and Syrians," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The development comes amid fierce fighting between Ukrainian forces and the Russian Army. Reports claim the Russian forces have moved near the capital city amid heavy bombardment in the suburbs. Also Read in Pics: Ukraine claims to capture Russia's Pantsir-S1 missile system; is it a rich catch? Russia's defence minister reportedly claimed 16,000 volunteers from the Middle East were ready to fight in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia continued its attack on various cities targeting the central city of Dnipro including Kharkiv. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said trucks carrying food and medicine to Mariupol was hit by Russian tanks even as the city's mayor said over 1,000 civilians were killed amid constant Russian shelling. Watch: All Russian banks, payment cards and ATM's blocked Ukrainian authorities have evacuated people in large numbers from cities hit by Russian attacks as President Zelensky informed that at least 100,000 people have evacuated from areas surrounding Kyiv which has come under heavy fire from Russian forces in the last few days. In Pics | Ukraine then and now, images from 1970s and after Russian invasion Fighting is also continuing in Chernihiv, Severodonetsk in the east even as Russia promised open humanitarian corridors for civilians every day. The UN said over two and a half million people have aleady fled the country since President Putin's forces attacked Ukraine on February 24. (With inputs from Agencies)

Syrians to fight in Ukraine, confirms Russia

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

According to reports, Russia is seeking to recruit Syrian soldiers to fight in Ukraine as fighting intensifies in various cities.

Reports claim Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may send his fighters to Ukraine. Russia has been helping the Syrian regime since 2015.&nbsp;

US officials told the Wall Street Journal that Russia has been recruiting Syrian fighters who have expertise in urban warfare. Reports say some Syrian fighters are already in Russia preparing to enter the Ukraine war amid escalation of bombing campaign in Ukrainian cities.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Putin using Syrian fighters to beat Ukraine?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-putin-using-syrian-fighters-to-beat-ukraine-460060/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Reports claim Russia has increased shelling of cities in recent days including in Gostomel near Kyiv and Kharkiv in the east. Other cities namely Sumy, Chernihiv and Mykolayiv have also come under intense Russian fire. Several thousand people have been rendered homeless amid the Russian missile attacks with people out of power in the besieged southern port of Mariupol.

Despite the heavy bombing since February 24 when President Putin declared war on Ukraine, soldiers in Kyiv have resisted Russian attacks and it continues to remain under Ukrainian control including Kharkiv although reports say the city has been surrounded.

Russian forces have been on the offensive in the Russian-basked Donetsk and Lugansk regions even as fighting continues in Sumy city. Putin's forces have shelled Kyiv from the first day of the campaign as reports claim there is a major Russian military stationed outside the city.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-long-air-battle-can-ukraine-hold-out-against-russian-air-force-459873">Also Read in Pics:&nbsp;Can Ukraine hold out against Russian Air Force?</a>

Heavy fighting is continuing in Gostomel near Kyiv even as Ukrainian forces have reportedly destroyed several Russian military vehicles. The port city Odessa also remains under Ukraine's although Ukrainian President Zelensky said the civilian airport in Vinnytsia was destroyed by Russian rockets.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. According to reports, Russia is seeking to recruit Syrian soldiers to fight in Ukraine as fighting intensifies in various cities. Reports claim Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may send his fighters to Ukraine. Russia has been helping the Syrian regime since 2015. US officials told the Wall Street Journal that Russia has been recruiting Syrian fighters who have expertise in urban warfare. Reports say some Syrian fighters are already in Russia preparing to enter the Ukraine war amid escalation of bombing campaign in Ukrainian cities. Watch | Gravitas: Putin using Syrian fighters to beat Ukraine? Reports claim Russia has increased shelling of cities in recent days including in Gostomel near Kyiv and Kharkiv in the east. Other cities namely Sumy, Chernihiv and Mykolayiv have also come under intense Russian fire. Several thousand people have been rendered homeless amid the Russian missile attacks with people out of power in the besieged southern port of Mariupol. Despite the heavy bombing since February 24 when President Putin declared war on Ukraine, soldiers in Kyiv have resisted Russian attacks and it continues to remain under Ukrainian control including Kharkiv although reports say the city has been surrounded. Russian forces have been on the offensive in the Russian-basked Donetsk and Lugansk regions even as fighting continues in Sumy city. Putin's forces have shelled Kyiv from the first day of the campaign as reports claim there is a major Russian military stationed outside the city. Also Read in Pics: Can Ukraine hold out against Russian Air Force? Heavy fighting is continuing in Gostomel near Kyiv even as Ukrainian forces have reportedly destroyed several Russian military vehicles. The port city Odessa also remains under Ukraine's although Ukrainian President Zelensky said the civilian airport in Vinnytsia was destroyed by Russian rockets. (With inputs from Agencies)

Russia seeking to recruit Syrian soldiers to fight in Ukraine: Report

According to US officials, Russia is recruiting Syrian fighters experienced in urban combat as it ramps up its assault on Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has claimed around 20,000 foreign volunteers have traveled to the country to join Kyiv's forces.

US says Russia is recruiting Syrian fighters to fight in Ukraine

Clashes between Armenia-Azerbaijan continued for yet another day, this as France, Russia and US stepped up to mediate. Watch report.

Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict: International mediators head to Geneva

The US-backed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/heavy-clashes-as-us-backed-forces-battle-is-in-syria-report-196387">Syrian Democratic Forces</a> (SDF) have seized ground from<a href="http://13.232.42.114/world/us-backed-syrian-forces-launch-final-battle-against-islamic-state-enclave-196295"> Islamic State</a> in a fierce battle to capture its last enclave in eastern Syria, an SDF official said on Sunday.

The SDF, backed by a US-led coalition, began the assault on Saturday, seeking to wipe out the last remnants of the jihadist group's "caliphate" in the SDF`s area of operations in eastern and northern Syria.&nbsp;

The enclave is close to the Iraqi border and comprises two villages. Islamic State (IS) also still retains territory in the part of Syria that is mostly under the control of the Russian- and Iranian-backed Syrian government.

SDF fighters had so far seized 41 positions but had faced counter-attacks early on Sunday that had been repelled, Mustafa Bali, head of the SDF media office, told Reuters.

"The clashes are ferocious naturally because the terrorist group is defending its last stronghold."

President Donald Trump, who is planning to pull U.S. forces out of Syria, said on Wednesday he expected a formal announcement as early as this week that the coalition had reclaimed all the territory previously held by Islamic State.&nbsp;

Bali said 400 to 600 jihadists were estimated to be holed up in the enclave, including foreigners and other hardened fighters.

Between 500 to 1,000 civilians are also estimated to be inside, Bali said. More than 20,000 civilians were evacuated in the 10 days leading up to Saturday, he said.

"If we can, in a short time frame, get the (remaining) civilians out or isolate them, I believe that the coming few days will witness the military end of the terrorist organisation in this area," Bali said.

Senior SDF official Redur Xelil told Reuters on Saturday the force hoped to capture the area by the end of February but cautioned that IS would continue to pose "great and serious" security threats even after that.

IS redrew the map of the Middle East in 2014 when it declared a caliphate across large areas of Syria and Iraq. But it steadily lost ground and its two main prizes - the Syrian city of Raqqa and Iraq`s Mosul - fell in 2017.&nbsp;

Spearheaded by the Kurdish YPG militia, the SDF has been the main US partner in Syria.&nbsp;

A top US general said last week Islamic State would pose an enduring threat following the US withdrawal, as it still has leaders, fighters, facilitators and resources.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have seized ground from Islamic State in a fierce battle to capture its last enclave in eastern Syria, an SDF official said on Sunday.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have seized ground from Islamic State in a fierce battle to capture its last enclave in eastern Syria, an SDF official said on Sunday. The SDF, backed by a US-led coalition, began the assault on Saturday, seeking to wipe out the last remnants of the jihadist group's "caliphate" in the SDF`s area of operations in eastern and northern Syria. The enclave is close to the Iraqi border and comprises two villages. Islamic State (IS) also still retains territory in the part of Syria that is mostly under the control of the Russian- and Iranian-backed Syrian government. SDF fighters had so far seized 41 positions but had faced counter-attacks early on Sunday that had been repelled, Mustafa Bali, head of the SDF media office, told Reuters. "The clashes are ferocious naturally because the terrorist group is defending its last stronghold." President Donald Trump, who is planning to pull U.S. forces out of Syria, said on Wednesday he expected a formal announcement as early as this week that the coalition had reclaimed all the territory previously held by Islamic State. Bali said 400 to 600 jihadists were estimated to be holed up in the enclave, including foreigners and other hardened fighters. Between 500 to 1,000 civilians are also estimated to be inside, Bali said. More than 20,000 civilians were evacuated in the 10 days leading up to Saturday, he said. "If we can, in a short time frame, get the (remaining) civilians out or isolate them, I believe that the coming few days will witness the military end of the terrorist organisation in this area," Bali said. Senior SDF official Redur Xelil told Reuters on Saturday the force hoped to capture the area by the end of February but cautioned that IS would continue to pose "great and serious" security threats even after that. IS redrew the map of the Middle East in 2014 when it declared a caliphate across large areas of Syria and Iraq. But it steadily lost ground and its two main prizes - the Syrian city of Raqqa and Iraq`s Mosul - fell in 2017. Spearheaded by the Kurdish YPG militia, the SDF has been the main US partner in Syria. A top US general said last week Islamic State would pose an enduring threat following the US withdrawal, as it still has leaders, fighters, facilitators and resources.

US-backed Syrian fighters close in on last Islamic State-held area in eastern Syria

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Syrians to fight in Ukraine, confirms Russia

Russia seeking to recruit Syrian soldiers to fight in Ukraine: Report

US says Russia is recruiting Syrian fighters to fight in Ukraine

Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict: International mediators head to Geneva

US-backed Syrian fighters close in on last Islamic State-held area in eastern Syria