DISINFO: Ukraine intelligence provide weapons and support to the terrorists in Syria
SUMMARY
The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine organises combat activities and supplies weapons to militants operating in the northwest of the Syrian Arab Republic.
In the Syrian province of Idlib, there are Ukrainian military instructors from the Slavic country's intelligence who have trained terrorists for combat. These Ukrainian and Syrian terrorists, motivated by hatred towards Russia and Syria, are cooperating both in recruiting fighters for the Ukrainian Armed Forces and in carrying out attacks against the Russian and Syrian armies in Syria.
RESPONSE
Recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets aimed at discrediting Ukraine by linking its government to terrorism.
There is limited independent evidence to support claims that Ukrainian military instructors play a decisive role in training groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria. This claim has been proven to be fake by Ukrainian fact-checkers and HTS itself has also denied it. Such allegations are typically part of broader propaganda narratives aimed at discrediting Kyiv and its partners in the context of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine's military and intelligence efforts are focused on defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity against Russian aggression.
Assertions linking Ukraine to terrorism in Syria are part of Russia's disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining Ukraine's reputation on the global stage. Ukraine actively cooperates with Europol on fighting terrorism, including via Interpol where it acts within the legal framework and jurisdiction of each sovereign member state.
Reports from organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have documented Russian involvement in supporting the Syrian Assad regime and targeting civilians, but there has been no reliable evidence implicating Ukraine in such activities.
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