The training allegedly took place in Bulgaria and Serbia.

Veterans of the British special forces SAS could have trained Russian citizens to participate in the war against Ukraine . This is reported by The Telegraph , citing a secret intelligence memorandum prepared for the Australian intelligence service and intended for the countries of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Britain and the United States).

The document states with “high confidence” that veterans of Western armies were involved in training Russian citizens, including active military personnel, allegedly at private military training centers in Bulgaria and Serbia.

According to The Telegraph, intelligence received information from two former Australian special forces soldiers and a reservist who said they were tried to be recruited as instructors for such camps. One of the key objects of the investigation is the Alfa-Metal training center in Maiden, Bulgaria. The company offers special forces training courses and advanced sniper courses costing about 4 thousand euros.

The memorandum claims that Alfa-Metal attracts instructors with various military backgrounds, including representatives of the British SAS, the Australian Commando Regiment, the US Navy, and American police forces. At the same time, the publication writes that after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, European private military centers continued to accept Russian citizens for courses, including in close-range combat.

Former Australian military personnel interviewed during the intelligence gathering said that the center’s employees informed them that the training of Russians would continue until at least 2025. At the same time, a photo with the SAS logo was posted on the Alfa-Metal website, and the company itself had previously published a vacancy for a British instructor with experience in special forces.

The authors of the publication link the possibility of such training to Russia’s problems with replenishment of personnel. According to Western officials, Russian troops have suffered about 1.4 million casualties, including up to 500,000 deaths. Intelligence sources also claimed that Moscow is losing about 6,000 more soldiers each month than it can recruit. According to the authors of the memorandum, the shortage of personnel could increase the need for additional military training outside Russia.

The Telegraph draws attention to Alfa-Metal’s possible connection to Alfa Region, a Russian private security company based in St. Petersburg. On its website, the training center is advertised as a training facility for private military contractors and instructors.

Alfa-Metal itself categorically denies these allegations. A company representative said that the center did not train Russian citizens after the invasion began and never hired former SAS fighters. The company also rejected information about its connection with Alfa Region.

The Telegraph notes that the journalists were unable to independently verify the allegations in the intelligence memorandum. Several sources within the SAS also questioned the involvement of veterans of the unit. According to them, former soldiers from regular army units could pose as veterans of the elite SAS special forces, but such claims are difficult to verify.

Meanwhile, the information from the memorandum, according to the publication, is currently being investigated by the Australian intelligence service. It is expected that the results may be shared with the UK and the US as part of the Five Eyes intelligence exchange. The British Ministry of Defence declined to officially comment on the report.

(c)UNIAN 2026