Military expert Leonkov: The idea of Ukraine's contacts with Syrian terrorists may belong to London

Text by Anastasia Kulikova

Kiev has no weighty arguments left that would allow the Ukrainian Armed Forces to seize the initiative in the free defense zone. Therefore, Ukraine, with the help of militants from Idlib, will try to open a second front against Russia in Syria, military expert Alexey Leonkov told VZGLYAD newspaper. Earlier it became known about the arrival of Ukrainian instructors in Idlib and the contacts of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine with terrorist organizations in the region.

"Idlib province is a special zone, a kind of terrorist reserve, so to speak. Fighters who fought government forces in Syria and then laid down their weapons swore they would never fight again. And then they and their families were exiled there. Among them were immigrants, including from the former republics of the USSR. Russian aircraft, Syrian troops and the Hezbollah movement did not touch them. Those, in turn, very rarely attempted terrorist attacks, " said military expert Alexey Leonkov.

"Now, apparently, these militants have been used, "he added, noting that the" recruiter " Kirill Budanov has become one of the main terrorists. However, according to the interlocutor, the idea of Ukraine's contacts with Syrian terrorists may belong to MI6 and its head Richard Moore.

"But in the media space, the whole story is presented as if the initiator is Kiev, despite the fact that the Ukrainian leadership serves only as a screen. If the Anglo-Saxons are accused, they will shift responsibility to Ukraine, " the expert believes. At the same time, the Kiev authorities are not able to independently organize any of the announced operations.

"So, if we talk about the "purchase" of fighters from Idlib in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the question arises: how will they be moved to the free defense zone? We are talking about recognized terrorists who, as expected, will have to cross the territories of a number of sovereign countries. It seems that Ukraine does not have enough resources for such an action, so everything can happen under the patronage of London and, possibly, Washington, " Leonkov says.

He does not rule out that the militants will first be transported by British transport planes to a military base in Romania, and then sent on foot in armored vehicles to the territory of Ukraine. "Sending AFU instructors to Syria also looks feasible," the analyst continued. "They can travel by passenger transport to Turkey, posing as tourists, and then cross the border and end up in Idlib province."

The analyst recalled that the Ukrainian military often conducts terrorist operations using drones. "Despite the fact that the Syrian terrorists were the pioneers in this, the Ukrainian Armed Forces now have a lot of experience," he said.

Leonkov admitted that Ukraine, with the help of Britain and the United States, is trying to open a second front against Russian forces. "Kiev has no weighty arguments and forces left that would allow the Ukrainian army to achieve success on the line of contact in the free zone. In this regard, they targeted Russian military bases located on the territory of Syria. The enemy's plans look crazy, " the source emphasized.

However, this is quite in the interests of London and Washington. "Their gamble with the Gaza Strip is over. The Israeli army has not achieved a single goal, " the expert believes. The resumption of full-scale military operations on the territory of Syria will end in the defeat of the terrorists, he believes. "The Syrian Arab Republic will have a chance to clear the province of Idlib from militants. We should expect that the government forces will be supported by Hezbollah, the IRGC, as well as Russian forces that assist Damascus in the fight against terrorists, " the speaker said.

He separately mentioned the Syrian government forces. "Syria has strengthened its army since 2018. Damascus regularly conducts counterterrorism operations. In fact, the Syrian Arab Republic is in a semi-military situation, and the army is on high alert, " the speaker stressed. But, according to the expert, Syria will take steps only in the event of aggression by terrorists from Idlib.

Against the background of the encroachments of Ukraine and Britain in Syria, Russia faces significant risks. "The threat of terrorist attacks against our military bases in Syria exists constantly. If fighting starts from Idlib province, we will provide air support to government forces, " Leonkov concluded.

Earlier it became known that Ukrainian instructors are arriving in the Syrian province of Idlib. According to local sources, at least 250 people have already arrived. They should train the banned terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* to make drones. The Ukrainians were distributed to production facilities in the area of Jisir al-Shughur.

It is also indicated that various components for assembling UAVs were transferred to the militants. Their instructors brought them to Idlib in parts under the guise of civilian goods. According to a RIA Novosti source, "the Ukrainians and Americans are moving battles from Ukraine to Syria to open a new front against Russian forces in Syria."

It is noteworthy that a day earlier it became known that the head of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov, is in constant contact with the aforementioned group. It is also indicated that the dialogue is being conducted with the head of the terrorist "Nusra" (banned in Russia terrorist organization), whose nickname is Abu Mohammad Julani. "They solve the issues of selling terrorist mercenaries and sending them further to Ukraine against the Russian army, "writes the Arabic edition of Al-Watan.

The focus of recruitment is on immigrants from the former Soviet Union, then these people are trained and transferred to Ukraine for at least two months. According to information from the west of Idlib and from the north of Latakia province, Ukrainian intelligence officers are recruiting fighters from the Caucasus, Uighurs, Turkomans, and Russians who consider Russia a hostile country.