US recruits terrorists to fight in Ukraine: Russian intel

Moscow, May 18 (IANS) Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claimed that the US has been “actively recruiting” terrorists to fight in Ukraine.

In a statement, SVR revealed that according to the intelligence it is receiving, “the US is actively recruiting even members of international terrorist organisations, including the Islamic State (IS) group banned in Russia, as mercenaries to participate in hostilities in Ukraine”, RT reported.

The Russian intelligence service points to the American military base in Syria called al-Tanf, which is located close to the borders of Jordan and Iraq.

According to its sources, this base and the surrounding area have turned into a kind of terrorist “hub”, where up to 500 IS and other jihadis can be “retrained” simultaneously.

SVR further claimed that last month 60 IS militants, who had been released from prisons controlled by the Syrian Kurds, were transferred to al-Tanf “with a view to subsequent transfer to Ukrainian territory”, RT reported.

The SVR specified that during a training course at al-Tanf the militants are instructed on how to use anti-tank missile systems, reconnaissance and strike drones, advanced communications, and surveillance equipment.

Meanwhile, the presence of American troops on Syrian territory at the al-Tanf base has long been considered by both Moscow and Damascus illegal.

The previous US administration pledged that American forces would leave northeastern Syria but only after IS militants are defeated and the Kurds protected, RT reported.