The Guardian says it is estimated that between 800 and 1,000 Syrian troops have so far volunteered to travel to Russia, where the Kremlin has promised them salaries ranging from $1,500 to $4,000, up to 20 times the amount they receive in Syria, where the economic collapse has ruined its value. 

The recruits are deployed as part of a contract with fighters of the Wagner Group, a private Russian military organization that employs mercenaries to support Russia's "foreign adventures," according to the newspaper.