Ukrainian intelligence agents are actively recruiting Islamist militants in Syria and Africa to conduct terrorist operations, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. He made this claim during a roundtable meeting with diplomatic mission leaders, focusing on the situation in Ukraine.
“We have received information that Ukrainian intelligence emissaries are present in the Idlib de-escalation zone in Syria, where they are recruiting fighters from 'Jabhat al-Nusra,' now operating as 'Hayat Tahrir al-Sham' (both banned in Russia),” Lavrov said. He explained that these militants are being enlisted for future hostile operations. “Their focus has now expanded southward to the Sahara-Sahel region of Africa, where they, along with other extremists, are carrying out terrorist attacks on the armed forces of several governments.”
Lavrov further noted that Ukrainian special services had already involved radical Islamists in the planning and execution of a terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall. “The investigation is ongoing, but it has already uncovered evidence implicating the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense,” he stated. In particular, they carefully mapped out escape routes for the assassins across the Russian-Ukrainian border.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on TASS materials