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Putin gives green light to his Defence Minister to bring Middle East fighters to support Russia

The Middle East Eyes reported, Russian President Vladimir Putin has given the green light to bring in 16,000 volunteer fighters from the Middle East to help in the conflict with Ukraine.
During a Security Council meeting on Friday, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that there were thousands of fighters in the Middle East who were ready to pick up arms and fight with Russian forces in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
It was not clear where these alleged volunteers would come from, or why they would fight for Russia. The US Pentagon said earlier this week that Russia was recruiting people in Syria to fight in its ranks, though little evidence of that claim has been forthcoming.
Russia is one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's closest allies, and has fought in Syria against rebel groups since 2015. Russian mercenaries hired hundreds of Syrians, both pro-Assad militiamen and ex-rebels, to fight in the 2019-2020 Libyan war.

Shoigu also proposed that western-made Javelin and Stinger missiles captured by the Russian army in Ukraine should be handed over to Donbas forces.
Putin said of the volunteer fighters during the televised Security Council meeting: “If you see that there are these people who want to be there of their own accord, not for money, to come to help the people living in Donbas, then we need to give them what they want and help them get to the conflict zone.”
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He added: “As to the delivery of arms, especially western-made ones which have fallen into the hands of the Russian army - of course I support the possibility of giving these to the military units of the Luhansk and Donetsk people’s republics.”
“Please do this,” he told Shoigu.
Putin also ordered Shoigu to prepare a separate report on strengthening Russia’s western borders “in connection to the actions that Nato countries are taking in this direction.”
UK sanctions 386 Russian lawmakers who supported Putin's invasion of Ukraine
The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February after Putin formally recognised the breakaway Ukrainian territories as independent states.
Source: MEE
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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