Former SAS and Navy SEAL veterans allegedly teaching Russians to fight in Ukraine from Bulgarian camps
A leaked intelligence memo says Western special-forces veterans, including former SAS and US Navy SEALs, are being hired to train Russian citizens at private camps in Bulgaria and Serbia.
A memo compiled for the Australian Secret Intelligence Service and shared with Five Eyes agencies alleges that Western ex-special-forces personnel are being employed by the Alfa-Metal training centre in Mejdeni, northern Bulgaria, to instruct Russian citizens and active-duty troops. The centre advertises special-forces and advanced sniper courses for roughly €5,000 per person and has added drone training in 2025. According to the leaked document, former British SAS members, US Navy SEALs and other elite operatives were approached to become instructors at camps in Bulgaria and Serbia, and the programme continued to accept Russian trainees through 2025.
The report notes that such activity breaches UK and Australian law prohibiting former special-forces staff from aiding foreign states. Australian authorities are investigating the memo, with findings likely to be passed to UK and US partners. The allegations surface as Russia escalates its air-strike campaign on Ukrainian cities, where casualties remain substantial.
How this was covered
- Left-leaning outlets covered this 4h later
- The two sides describe this in almost entirely different words
