gustavo veteran is less distal coalition and historic result that confirms that he will be the candidate to be in the upcoming presidential elections in may. and he said that, i'm good. i just read a book that ah, hello again. the headlines on al jazeera and cranes president followed him as zalinski his one year of 8 could trace attacks. if russia's invasion isn't stopped, a russian cruise missiles strike killed at least 35 people at a ukrainian military base. and you have a riff on sunday. not yet sure, nobody does your ski, but of him doing this. this is the war of our lives for ukraine, for independence didn't last year as warning the leaders of the world that if they don't have prevent of sanctions against russia, russia will assault them. are saying that they have the weapons and they'll hit the whole of europe and to day i'm saying it again. if you do not close our sky, it's a matter of time when russian rockets will land on the territory of nato countries

and kill the people of nato countries. the besieged city of mar, your pole, in the south face is worsening conditions. it's coming under intense russian bombardment. over $400000.00 residents are trapped in the city and food and water are running out. another aid convoy fell to reach there on sunday. at least one person has been killed and 3 injured after a shell. hit that apartment block and keep it happen just hours before ukrainian and russian negotiators are set to hold virtual talks, ukrainian officials. so you say they're doing everything they can to reclaim territory and air p in a suburb of keys. their city has come under heavy selling in the past week. parts of her pin are now under russian control. but authority say they won't surrender. it was easy then, but i believe no. the 10000 people may be less are staying in pain and don't want to leave our city. 70 percent of our city is now ukrainian territory with ukrainians. living there. 30 percent is controlled by russian occupiers,

that we are doing everything to liberate 100 percent of our city. clean power has been restored through a damage supply line, ukraine's turnover nuclear plants, which is under russian control, the site lost all external power on wednesday, sparking international concerns about the radioactive materials stored there. but there are new concerns for the safety of staff at the plant. russian police arrested at least 800 people during anti war protests across dozens of cities. president vladimir putin has announced penalties if up to 15 years in prison, for anyone who protests against the war in ukraine. we'll have more news at the top of the hour on al jazeera, but up next. it's inside story by, from the front lines out. his name is correspondence. continue to report every angle, if the war in ukraine we've just heard shilling in the distance and machine gun. far in the forest series, a humanitarian crisis erupting on multiple fronts. red rocket landed just

a few meters from our convoy swimming up with this has been all over the need for a region and he try a st totally destroyed along the road. we came in on. there was still clearly an active battlefield day without his thereafter the latest development. russia's war on ukraine isn't just being fought by the armies of the 2 countries. tens of thousands of foreigners are joining both sides. will they face consequences under international law? and how will they affect the conflict? this is inside story. ah. hello and welcome to the program. i'm hammer, jim, jim, russia and ukraine have mobilized hundreds of thousands of soldiers to fight the war. and both countries have made calls for foreigners to join their side.

volunteers are already making their way to the front lines and al jazeera correspondence met these men from sweden and switzerland on the train from poland to ukraine. one said he faces 3 years in jail when he returns home, but insisted the sacrifice is worth it. ukraine says up 220000 volunteers from 52 countries have signed up to join an international legion. you've this person seats requirement. we a you the person that quoted you, new grant and person goes to your grave. what as them science counter was on forces or you great. so this is not mess sellers who are come in to add money. no, not at all. this is a good view people. would you walk government to assist your grave to fly for freedom? on the russian side, president vladimir putin has approved allowing foreign fighters. the defense minister says 16000 volunteers from the middle east are ready to join. the u. s.

believes moscow is recruiting in syria where russia has been helping government forces since 2015. but the kremlin says those from the west to fight on ukraine's side will be considered mercenaries, with no protection under the geneva convention. mister, closer as to recruiting mercenaries all over the world and sending them to ukraine . we can see that they are the west and sponsors of ukraine. they're not hiding it . they're doing an openly neglecting every norm of international law. therefore, if you see that there are people willing to go there and help the people of on bass as volunteers, especially free of charge, well, we should grant their wish and help them reach the combat zone with the deep resume of who came up with the idea of throwing mercenaries against our people. it flags from syria, from the country that was destroyed in the same way as the invaders are destroying us now. all right, let's take a look at the role of foreign fighters in conflicts. the war and syria had one of

the largest mobilization of foreigners. thousands of them came from western europe to fight. after the rise of iceland, 2014, the un security council adopted resolutions to prevent the recruitment and travel of foreign fighters. volunteers for ukraine have been signing up at a faster rate than even in 2014, in syria and iraq. some countries like belgium, have tried to discourage their citizens from going while others, like latvia, have approved a bill for people to take up arms for ukraine. all right, let's go ahead and bring in our guess in moscow i will fell going, how're defense and military analysts in providence, rhode island in the u. s. anthony, to work in senior policy fellow at the european council on foreign relations, and into ha, omar. assure founding chair of the door institutes critical security studies program, a warm welcome to you wall, and thanks so much for joining us today on inside story omar, let me start with you today. all these foreign fighters that are joining the

conflict in ukraine on both sides. what kind of an impact is that going to have? well, as historically, we know that it has. ready an impact, some benefits and maybe a lot of costs on the benefits side. they depending on the type, they have admitted that he and from a word from the spanish civil war. when you have the international b gate was quantity means quality because of their numbers, the sheer numbers, even though for training and expertise. they managed to stop. the frank was army from taking madrid. and the grid didn't really fall except, except after the collapse of the war after the collapse of the public and the end of the war. so there's some medicine benefits. they increase the manpower all

whichever side they go to, they help with logistics and supplies. some may bring methodist expertise depending if they were regular or regular. so they fought before then that saying insurgency and they're already in rid of the warfare situation, or if they have for minute military training. meaning that they were part of an official armed institute. and also they help with the morale boost unit collegian if especially the ideologues the heart course they, they help along with the unit cohesion, we know that and. busy sometimes also they give international legitimacy goodwin, further recruitment of other forum volunteers and depends on, on the, the, the, the narrative, the, the,

the that is upheld. they help with food, good internet, additional giving for them to come see of course, that's on one side. but the cost of course, we know that any mobilize ation, any demobilization has a lot of costs. also the always the opposing side uses or uses. so let's say that our volunteers, actual volunteers who are committed to the cause of defending crane that say, the other side, russia, in this case will be saying that these are not volunteers that are most entities. and if they are coming death to defend a democracy, they will be accused of being the extremist and so on. and the other way around. of course, the other side has also, i'm not saying that there are no ideologues, there are no people with like some extreme study involved, but they are very,

very different types of reasons people volunteer. they're also mercenaries, meaning that they're actually paid to fight. so those also exist, but somehow volunteered emotion that get brushed. sometimes you same brush what you let me let me, let me, let me get back to you on that point about mercenaries in just a couple of minutes. paul, let me go to you. how important is it for president at this particular time, whether symbolically or logistically, how important is it for him to have foreign fighters involved? well, 1st of all, we should understand that there are no foreign fighters. there are in fact on the front line. none of the russian side and a very, very small number on the ukrainian side. so we're talking about a future kind of situation more than that one. the, so read you, there are president or food chin or the front of the russian defense minister. this

are you sure will public re told the president that there are lots of volunteers in syria with combat experience apparently who can wanted one to join the fight and the dont bus and the president. ok. that letter understood understand it didn't come there yet. it's important for russia, of course, it's important symbolically that the russian cause is good cause and it's going to be joined by foreigners and the secondary. the russians actually have a very serious manpower issue, their military or friends in ukraine. the regular russian army is more or less all in not all, of course it has, but it can't move wallets troops. i mean, not from the coil islands, not from going in grad and so on. their places where you have to keep garrisons anyways, and they don't have much of trained reserves. so her combat veterans from syria, ethel had actually fought with the russians and know the russians, are they being planted in barrel sore? and then the lab po and good to together. so if they kind of join the fight, well,

that would help, at least partially way in the problem with the reserves. the right now the russian military has anthony. i saw you nodding to some of what papa was saying that i'm gonna let you jump in, but i also wanted to ask you, what are some of the legal ramifications when it comes to foreign fighters volunteering for a conflict such as this one? there is a big difference between foreign fighters who are kind of incorporated into the armed forces of one of the parties to the conflict, whether it's ukraine or russia, that is perfectly established procedure with historical precedents em. i mention the spanish civil war obviously being a primary one and under the rules of war as perfectly accepted that you can bring people in. but the question is, are they part of

a regular armed forces, or are they sort of freelancers who are kind of appearing on the battlefield, really of their own volition without formally being incorporated into the armed forces. and that makes the certain difference because if they are part of the forces, then they enjoy what's not, who knows the privilege of the competence. in other words, if they're captured, they haven't committed any crime. they have to be treated as prisoners, the war. this is all us human that they fight in a lawful way, but their presence on the battlefield is accepted if they are just kind of free lancers or war tourists who are turning up with a gun, then they're in a different position because they're still counted as civilians but they're civilians who are fighting and so potentially they could be prosecuted under the

law. busy of the opposing country for acts of violence. anthony, if i could just verify, if i could just also ask you though, do you, do you believe that is going to be enough concern about what types of fighters are out there by governments that they would initiate, releasing guidelines for their citizens to follow in the event that they want to volunteer and ukraine. there, it's been looking at how western governments have dealt with this issue has been interesting and they've been some quite and answers. so obviously the governments in europe, the united states, are very committed supplying assistance to ukraine, short stopping short of joining the conflict themselves. and some of them, the british foreign secretary in particular, less trust went so far as to suggest that it would be a good thing for british citizens,

the gun fight. but the british defense secretary really kind of wrote back on that comment. and i think he has the better case because encouraging your citizens who may or may not have any in the military training to simply go abroad into, obviously very dangerous zion. there are a lot of risk allowed. obviously the government can protect them. the motivations why people may be that could be quite next. you know, there are concerns, obviously, about some of them when they come back. so it's, it's so complicated and delicate question. i think, you know, people who have extensive military experience so that they're not forces. perhaps they would be able to make that adjustment. there's also a question about how these people would fight when they're there. do they have the kind of discipline and training to fight in accordance with the laws of war?

so there are a lot of concerns involved. omar, you were talking before about the different types of fighters you were talking specifically about mercenaries, and i'm curious to get your opinion about if governments are concerned about what may happen to some of these fighters once they actually return to their home countries, there is usually that concern, but actually the most of that is when it comes to that concern, it's not the major concern because the pay to fight if you don't pay them, they won't fight. so but others there may be some concerns with the, you know, the volunteers, for example, the ones who seated in syria and got particular type of training that could be used in been tattered building of ideas, being in urban areas and so on, so forth. and they because of the ideology, because of the world view, the perception was that they may cause a threat when they do,

you mobilize and return back to the whole countries, especially about i financial with an organization such as isis and, and others. and the case of creating, clearly it's a bit different so that the main, i guess the main concern to the security services would not western security searches would not come out and say this publicly because they, they need to be ideological or politically correct. and so on, but there is a concern with the all the due on one end. and there is a concern with the type of training that the, these volunteers will get. and of course, there is a concern for why did they go to the war in which organization got affiliated with when they go to the conflict area. some of the do not really exist in ukraine and they're creating conflict. and initially did not exist in that he didn't conflict. a member though it's 7 volunteers rentals with to fight against deputy dean beckoned that even that illusion 2011 and there was,

there was limited. there was, let's say less concern than when the case escalated interior in 2013 and 2014 and visor license and so on, so forth. so these are some differences. but also i want to say that the, the important involvement i may, i agree with everything that was started with that i may just flip it on the movement of foreigners because from the very beginning, from 2014 there were for them fighters, for very different reasons. on both sides, in the korean case and beyond williams mainly fall from trends to studia. some of the been regimen serbian volunteers. but that's fighting on the side of russia and some remnants of some, but tell the ins that fought for the russians in chechnya or boston battalion is for one of them though they, they somehow, whether treated loosely within the,

within the long company. can the beckers back in 2014, but they showed, i think, i mean they were very close to in 2014 they wedding crimea and would read using pictures sooner. so they were there, ethnically chechens or i'm sorry to interrupt you other side as well. the more i'm sorry, we are starting to run out of time. papa, let me, let me ask you this. when russian president putin and when the russian defense minister make the announcement that there are foreign fighters who would volunteer to go to dom boss? is this a decision that was made in order to count her what ukraine is doing when it comes to setting up an international legion? or was this done? because there is worry that russians would be unhappy if more russian forces would be called up to go into ukraine. whoa, yes, i say the russian, the political military readership have

a problem with reserves. if this war begins to drag on and develop into a kind of war of attrition. although we serious problems with are replacing manpower and general do attrition is not really what rushes that much ready for. and renouncing a mobilization and actually in the done boss in, these are so self requiring republics, which are now recognized by russia. there is a total mobilization of the male population. but in russia, there is not a boot in one public sitting there will be no reservists and no conscripts on the front line. only volunteers are because you knows that politically that you had the not very well and badly received by the russian public. as long as it's of over on tier force or sent me all volunteer fighting there, that's more politically acceptable. and so they all need, of course, volunteers and russians actually are not flocking to volunteer to go to work. did

she? yeah, very much. i mean to the ukraine very much, and that's a bit of a problem. on the other side, the ukrainians don't seem to have a manpower issue. and i don't know little they form a foreign region or not. but they have a problem with specialists and commanders as they are expanding their mower tree very much right now. there's lots of volunteers that are lots of reserve as some of them with military expertise. i mean, with some experienced fighting in the da boss, but what different weapons now there's western weapons and it's specialist and western weapons. even western colonels major's generals that would be advisors or at your commanders of newly formed units as the ukranian war effort expands. so these are different things. russians don't want her to have her. no, sir, general citing. it's a commanding their troops in the don't boss,

but they need manpower. they trainings need not manpower, but they need the expertise and commanders make it possible. you also mentioned earlier that from your perspective these fighters wouldn't be ready any time soon. when do you think that they might be ready? well, i mean it's, there's a logistical problem to bring them from syria, especially with the russian airplanes right now, being arrested the, not the world to move. ready fly out of russia. again, you have to kind of low filter out who's in syria, who these people are for the russians are already there in series. they have, they are connections. there may be that will be a bit easier to bring those who want to really know how to fight and not those who just simply went to find a way to get a russian or actually a dentist passport and then try to infiltrate hero and then not really interested in re weigh fighting ukrainian armed forces. so that'll take time to form kind of

any kind of the large numbers on the i agree inside else the, the numbers are not very high right now, but the bank, there's a lot of people ready to volunteer, but again, they're going to have a problem to discriminate who's there as a tourist of who's really grady to fight and actually know how to do it and little and do the ukrainian effort does not detract from it. anthony, from your perspective, um, whenever it is that more foreign fighters or volunteers are actually on the ground in parts of ukraine, do you believe that these fighters could face severe consequences under international law? it depends what happens to them and it depends how they fight. i mean, clearly, if these foreign fighters are captured by russian forces, there are, i guess 2 questions, number one is the question of what should happen to them. and they could be

prosecuted if they're not part of a former military brigade. so, but as i understand it, there is at least an outfit to incorporate them into a brigade, in which case they should receive treatment of prisoners. or then of course, there is sometimes the kind of special opprobrium that can attach to people who seem to be you know, from outside may be illegitimate. they don't belong there. they're particularly presented, you know, so i think they are potentially putting themselves at some risk. but it's not, they're not actually committing a crime by going and if they fight in the hallway, then you know, there is no problem under the law. now, of course, there is a question about whether the countries that they come from might want to prosecute them. when they come back and they're in the case of the u. k, for instance,

there is a kind of law in the british statute book that says, fighting against the country that britain is not formally war with. it is a crime, but that is kind of, you know, not observed. and that was never used to prosecute people in the spanish civil war . and i don't think it would be in this case. so really the people who are prosecuted are the people who fight grows and i patients that there countries b, m. s terrorists. and i mean as, as we know, there are some extremist elements on the ukrainian side bugs. i think the prevalent view would be that most people fighting and you crying now and not fighting for cause that western governments with the most terrorist. and therefore, i think we would see a different approach anthony, for the fighters who are coming from nato countries. how much does that complicate the situation on the ground? and also let me ask you um,

4 countries who have fighters on the ground and ukraine if those fighters were to get kidnapped or killed or injured. is there a fear in those countries that there would be domestic pressure for those countries to then somehow intervene and the war writes, i think the essential point here is that western countries are trying to do essentially everything, but they can up to the threshold of directly joining the conflict on the side of ukraine so, and you can see that they're trying quite carefully just stopped short of that threshold. so for instance, the debate that took place about sending warped names from nato. we're playing by the from polar end or via the us. i think gave us that because it was the sense that a ukrainian pilots were allowed to fly planes from western countries into the battle

space. but that was counted, you know, essentially that would be launching attacks from orlando germany or whether and i think he would see the same thing with respect to the volunteer. there would be an absolute prohibition on any serving members of military force in western countries. going in any kind of official capacity or even i think there would be a lot of concern even if they're going in and unofficial. they you know, in a context where it could be perceived does. right, neither force is biting on behalf of your brain, but people who have military experience who left the forces that i think would be seen in a different way. and i think it would essentially be understood that they will go and get their own rest. right. i don't think that even if they work that would significantly change the debate in western countries about participation. all right, well we have run out of time,

so we're going to have to leave the conversation there. thank you so much. all of our guests probably gonna how're anthony to work in and omar, i assure and thank you to for watching, you can see the program again any time by visiting our website, al jazeera dot com, and for further discussion, go to our facebook page. that's facebook dot com, forward slash ha inside story. you can also during the conversation on twitter, our handle is at a j inside story from him. how much am june and the whole team here, bye for now? ah ah ah ah,

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examines the vested interest behind the content you consume on al jazeera. ah, russia keeps up, it strikes on the ukrainian capital, hitting a residential building ahead of talks to end the conflict. ah, we want to know to 0 by for headquarters, and so i'm getting obligated also a heads, a new attempt to help civilians escape the bombardment. ukraine 1010 humanitarian corridors are being opened on monday. ukraine's president renews his call for a no fly zone. he's warning nato could be next after russia far gets a military base near the polish border. also ahead violence scenes on the french island. the corsica protesters react to an attack on the jail national.