Ukraine Plotted Attacks Against Russian Bases In Syria With Help From Kurdish Forces – Report

This image is part of the leaked classified material that was circulated in a Discord chatroom and obtained by The Washington Post.

The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has plotted attacks against bases of the Russian military and the Wagner Group in Syria with help from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), The Washington Post reported on April 20, citing a leaked top-secret U.S. intelligence document.

The document, one of many recently leaked to a Discord chatroom by Massachusetts Air National Guard service member Jack Teixeira, bears the marking HCS-P, indicating that certain information is derived from human sources.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky directed a halt to the plot in December. However, the leaked document, based on intelligence gathered as of January 23, lays out in detail how the planning moved forward and how such a campaign could proceed if Kiev revived it.

The document explains how Ukrainian intelligence officers could plan deniable attacks in Syria that would avoid implicating the Ukrainian government itself.

The Russian military has been present in Syria since 2015, when it intervened to support the government of President Bashar al-Assad against ISIS and other terrorist groups.

Today, the war-torn country hosts a network of Russian military bases, with the main two being Hmeimim Air Base and Tartus Naval base on the coast.

The leaked document revealed that Ukrainian military intelligence officers favored striking Russian bases using drones and starting “small,” or possibly limiting their strikes only to Wagner forces.

Kiev considered training operatives of SDF, which controls vast parts of Syria’s northeastern region with support from the United States, to strike Russian bases and conduct “unspecified ‘direct action’ activities along with UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] attacks,” according to the document.

In return for taking part in the plot, the SDF asked for training, air defense systems and a guarantee that its role would be kept secret. The Kurdish leadership of the group also forbade strikes on Russian bases in Kurdish areas, the document says.

According to the document, Turkey was aware of the Ukrainian plot. Turkish officials “sought to avoid potential blowback” and suggested that Ukraine stage its attacks from SDF areas instead of those in Syria’s northern and northwestern regions, which are held by rebel groups, some of them are known to be backed by Ankara.

The document suggests that Ukraine could stage attacks against Hmeimim Air Base with UAVs, or against Tartus Naval Base with unmanned surface vehicles. It also posits attacks on oil and gas fields guarded by Wagner forces in Syria’s central region.

In a statement to The Washington Post, Farhad Shami, an SDF spokesperson, denied the plot and said that the group was never “a side in the Russian-Ukrainian war.”

The newspaper suggested that U.S. pressure, Ukraine’s limited supply of drones and doubts about whether the attacks could succeed were among the reasons that may have forced Zelensky to put the plan on hold.

Last year, Ukraine cut all ties with Syria after it recognized Donetsk and Luhansk as a part of the Russian Federation. Later, Kiev imposed sanctions against al-Assad and other senior Syrian officials.

Kiev’s idea behind the plot is that attacks in Syria will force Russia to move more military assets, such as air defense systems, to the country, thus disturbing its war effort in Ukraine itself.

The leaked document also highlighted high tensions between Russian and U.S. forces in Syria. It revealed an incident from November 27, in which a Russian Pantsir-S air defense system based in the northeastern al-Qamishli Airport opened fire at a U.S. MQ-9 combat drone. According to The Washington Post, the drone was not hit.

This image is part of the leaked classified material that was circulated in a Discord chatroom and obtained by The Washington Post.

The Ukrainian intelligence plot could have provoked a fierce response from Russia against Kiev forces. The SDF would have also paid a heavy price, considering that Russian forces are the only reason keeping Turkey away from its remaining territory.

It’s unclear how Damascus would have responded to attacks staged by Kiev. One possible scenario is allowing Syrian volunteers with combat experience to join the fight with Russian forces in the special military operation zone.

Overall, the Ukrainian plot to launch attacks in Syria reveals how the Kiev regime is exploring new ways to further escalate the conflict with Russia.

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