Ukraine Sent Drone Operators And Drones To U.S. Designated Terrorist Group

Ukraine reportedly deployed drone operators and drones Tuesday to a group that the U.S. has designated as a terrorist organization.

The Syrian rebels who swept to power in Damascus last weekend reportedly received drones and other support from Ukrainian intelligence operatives who sought to undermine Russia and its Syrian allies, said sources familiar with Ukrainian military activities abroad, according to The Washington Post. About 20 experienced drone operators and approximately 150 first-person-view drones were sent by Ukrainian intelligence to the rebel headquarters in Idlib, Syria, four to five weeks ago.

This support was directed to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the leading rebel group based there, as per knowledgeable sources, WaPo reported. Although the aid from Kyiv played only a modest role in overthrowing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Western intelligence sources believe it was notable as part of a broader Ukrainian effort to strike covertly at Russian operations in the Middle East, Africa and inside Russia itself.

HTS, originally known as Jabhat al-Nusrah or the Nusrah Front, Al-Qaeda’s former Syrian branch, transformed into a coalition of Sunni Islamist insurgent groups based in northern Syria. After a series of splits and strategic disagreements, notably in 2016 when its leader Abu Muhammad al-Jawlani renounced ties with Al-Qaeda, the Nusrah Front merged with other anti-regime factions in 2017 to form HTS, which later established the Syrian Salvation Government to administer its territories. In 2018, a faction that remained loyal to Al-Qaeda broke away to form Hurras al-Din, continuing as Al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria.

Ukraine expanded its military intelligence efforts to other regions to challenge Russia indirectly and, according to a June 3 report in the Kyiv Post, Ukrainian operatives have been assisting Syrian rebels in targeting Russian military assets in Syria. This operation, conducted by a special unit of the Ukrainian military intelligence service (GUR) known as “Khimik,” has collaborated with the Syrian opposition to strike various targets, including a significant bunker.

Russian officials have expressed concerns about these activities for months as Alexander Lavrentyev, Russia’s special representative for Syria, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have both noted the presence and actions of Ukrainian intelligence in Idlib, accusing them of conducting “dirty operations,” according to the Syrian newspaper Al-Watan, WaPo reported. Despite these claims, no independent evidence supports Russia’s assertion that Ukraine attempted a “drones-for-fighters” deal with the HTS group to recruit Syrian fighters.

Ukraine’s global military intelligence operations are not limited to Syria as they reportedly have extended to other regions, including northern Mali, where Ukraine was reported to have supported rebels in ambushing Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group, resulting in significant casualties, WaPo said. This operation in Mali led to the severing of diplomatic ties between Mali and Ukraine.

In response to Russia’s 2015 intervention to support Al-Assad during Syria’s civil war, which led to a substantial, ongoing Russian military presence, Ukrainian special forces have been actively targeting Russian installations in the region, the Kyiv Post reported. Following Moscow’s redeployment of troops and equipment from Syria to Ukraine in the autumn of 2022, vulnerabilities increased, coinciding with Russia’s establishment of recruitment centers in Syria to enlist mercenaries for the conflict in Ukraine.

Last Sunday, Al-Assad sought refuge in Russia as rebels and the Syrian military declared the abrupt conclusion of his 24-year regime. Both the Syrian rebels and the army command confirmed the regime’s downfall on state television and to military officers, respectively, according to Reuters.