In what world does this make logical sense. Ukraine is getting hammered and losing territory in Ukraine, and the area of Russia they were allowed to capture, and last I saw about to be encircled inside Russia (surprise). This all goes to show that’s it’s all theater, and OCGFC economic interests are what’s important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
https:\/\/news.antiwar.com\/2024\/12\/11\/report-ukraine-sent-drones-and-drone-operators-to-hts-before-offensive-that-ousted-assad\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n HTS, an offshoot of al-Qaeda, is designated by the US as a terror organization by Dave DeCamp<\/a> December 11, 2024 at 12:40 pm ET Categories News<\/a>Tags Syria<\/a>, Ukraine<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ukrainian intelligence had provided Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an offshoot of al-Qaeda, with drone support weeks before the group launched the offensive in Syria that ousted former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, The Washington Post<\/em> reported Tuesday.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUkrainian intelligence sent about 20 experienced drone operators and about 150 first-person-view drones to the rebel headquarters in Idlib, Syria, four to five weeks ago,\u201d wrote Washington Post<\/em> columnist David Ignatius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the US has celebrated Assad\u2019s downfall, HTS is still listed by the US as a foreign terrorist organization, and its leader, Abu Mohammad al-Julani, has a $10 million US bounty on his head. That means Ukraine has supplied weapons and intelligence support to a group the US considers a terrorist organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ukrainian and Russian reports have also reported<\/a> that a special unit of Ukraine\u2019s Main Intelligence Directorate (abbreviated GUR or HUR) had provided support to HTS and was involved in some attacks on Russian bases in Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUkrainian military instructors from the GUR are present\u2026 training HTS fighters for combat operations,\u201d Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said at the UN after the HTS offensive started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The GUR has received significant support from the US over the years. The Washington Post <\/em>reported<\/a> last year that the CIA helped build up the GUR and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) following the 2014 coup that ousted former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. \u201cGUR was our little baby. We gave them all new equipment and training,\u201d a former US intelligence official who worked in Ukraine told the Post<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The GUR has also been involved in fighting Russia\u2019s Wagner mercenary force in Africa. In Mali, the GUR provided support for a July ambush that killed 84 Wagner operatives and 47 Malians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n