Kiev's Intel Service Seeking to Involve Syrian Militants in Ukraine Conflict - Source

According to a source in military and diplomatic circles, agents of the Security Service of Ukraine together with their Turkish colleagues visited the northern Syria.

Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) agents have been seeking to involve Syrian militants in the military conflict in Ukraine, the source said.

According to him, on 4 February, "a group of three employees of the Security Service of Ukraine, accompanied by officers of the Turkish national intelligence organisation, visited areas controlled by Turkey in northern Syria, including the settlements of Afrin and Azaz".

"They visited the base of the Harkat Saurin armed group (part of the Syrian National Army), where they met with the commanders of several pro-Turkish groups (Firkat Sultan Murad, Liwa Al-Muattasim), as well as the camps of the illegal armed forces", the source said.

He added that during those meetings, "they discussed the possibility of recruiting militants into Ukraine's territorial defence forces". "They agreed to organise a series of secret meetings with people concerned about the matter", the source went on to say.

Earlier this week, the Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that the West had increased the deployment of contract soldiers from private military companies to Ukraine. The ministry added that, according to its estimates, 200 Croatian mercenaries have arrived in Ukraine while Britain, Denmark, Latvia, and Poland were considering sending mercenaries, too.