REBEL ALLIANCE
Ukrainian intel unit dubbed ‘The Chemists’ deployed kamikaze drones to SYRIA to help rebels topple Putin ally Assad
Syria is not the only example of Ukraine needling Vlad overseas
A UKRAINE intel unit dubbed “The Chemists” deployed kamikaze drones and operators to Syria to help the rebels topple Putin’s ally President Assad.
The Syrian rebels who cleaned out Assad’s evil regime last weekend got a helping hand from Ukrainian intelligence services (GUR), according to reports, who are finding creative ways to get under Vlad’s skin.
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Putin had poured millions into propping up his puppet president, Assad, so Ukraine was more than happy to help the rebels cut the strings.
About 20 experienced drone operators and 150 drones were shipped over from GUR to the rebel headquarters in Idlib, Syria, four weeks ago.
The Ukrainian military aid was a welcome injection of expertise and firepower for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the rebel group that spearheaded the coup.
Whilst the Ukrainian support was not huge, Western intelligence says it is part of a wider web of undercover Ukrainian operations in the Middle East, Africa and inside Russia itself.
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Ukraine has made no attempt to hide its covert operations, though Biden officials repeatedly denied any knowledge of the scheme to the Washington Post.
In June, the Kyiv Post quoted a Ukrainian military source who told the newspaper: “since the beginning of the year, the [Syrian] rebels, supported by Ukrainian operatives, have inflicted numerous strikes on Russian military facilities represented in the region.”
The story included a video showing attacks on a stone bunker, a white van and other targets that it claimed had been carried out with Ukrainian support.
The newspaper even said there was a special unit with a codename, Khimik, driving the Syrian operation.
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Russia has been whining for months about Ukraine’s alliance with Syria.
The Russian special representative for Syria, Alexander Lavrentyev, said in an interview in November: “We do indeed have information that Ukrainian specialists from the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine are on the territory of Idlib.”
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Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov also acknowledged “Ukrainian intelligence emissaries” in Idlib, and complained they were running “dirty operations”.
The Syrian newspaper Al-Watan even claimed that the GUR head, Kyrylo Budanov, had been in personal contact with HTS.
Before Assad was chucked out of Syria, Russian officials attempted to stir the pot by claiming Ukraine’s alliance with Syria was merely an attempt to recruit Syrian fighters for the Ukrainian frontline.
They suggested Ukraine had offered 75 military vehicles in a “drones-for-fighters” deal, but there is no evidence to back that up.
Since Putin’s pal Assad was ousted, bumbling Russian officials have changed their lines and are now downplaying Ukraine’s part.
Middle East Eye quoted a Russian military Telegram account as saying: “Firstly, GUR members did visit Idlib, but they stayed there for only a short time.
“Secondly, HTS has long had its own UAV [unmanned ariel vehicles] program.”
The Syria operation is not the only case of Ukraine needling Russia overseas.
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The BBC reported in August that Ukraine had helped rebels in northern Mali to ambush Russian mercenaries from the infamous Wagner Group.
The battle killed 84 Wagner thugs and 47 Malians, the BBC reported.
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