Russia wants to involve troops from Syria's Bashar al-Assad regime in the war against Ukraine, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry claimed Thursday.
"If they freeze, our artillery will warm them," the ministry said in a statement.
Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests.
According to the UN, over 350,000 people have lost their lives in the conflict, but human rights groups estimate the death toll to be between 500,000-600,000.
Over 14 million people had to flee their homes, becoming refugees or internally displaced, according to the European Union.
The Russia-Ukraine war, which started on Feb. 24, has drawn international condemnation, led to financial restrictions on Moscow and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia.
At least 780 civilians have been killed and 1,252 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, according to the UN, while noting that conditions on the ground make it difficult to verify the true number.
More than 3.16 million people have also fled to neighboring countries, said the UN refugee agency.
