Russian officials said on Friday that thousands of “volunteers” from the Middle East were requesting to fight in Ukraine, seemingly confirming earlier reports in international media that Russia was recruiting Syrian mercenaries. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said during a meeting of the Russian Security Council on Friday that 16,000 “volunteers” from the Middle East were ready to fight. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also told reporters on the same day that “most of the people who want and asked [to fight] are citizens of countries in the Middle East and Syria”. Russian officials did…