Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Ukraine of recruiting Islamist militants in northwest Syria, the Sahara, and the Sahel regions of Africa to carry out terrorist operations. Lavrov made this statement during a conference involving heads of Russian diplomatic missions abroad, held in Moscow. He claimed that Ukrainian intelligence agents were actively recruiting al-Qaeda linked militants from Jabhat al-Nusra, now called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), in the Idlib de-escalation zone on Syrian territory. These allegations came amid a Moscow Crocus City Hall terror attack earlier this year that killed at least 145 people, with Russian authorities linking the attackers to Ukraine.
Lavrov’s accusations suggest that Ukraine is planning more sabotage and terror attacks within Russia by recruiting and paying Syrian and North African Islamist mercenaries. The specific allegation regarding HTS is notable given its longstanding presence in Idlib province, where it has been fighting against the Syrian and Russian militaries for years.
Turkish newspaper Aydinlik reported that Ukrainian government officials recently traveled to Idlib to meet with members of Syria’s HTS to discuss a “drones-for-fighters” deal. However, no specific evidence has been provided to support these claims. It is worth considering that Ukraine might be looking for ways to address its manpower issues by tapping into the pool of Syrian anti-Assad militants who have also traveled to north Africa in support of Turkish defense firms. This strategy aligns with Turkey’s longstanding role in overseeing what has become known as a ‘jihadist highway’ in and out of Syria, or at other times “looking the other way.
