Russia is believed to be recruiting former Islamic State (IS) fighters. One of them tells about it.
Munich – Yesterday with the Islamic State (IS), today in action for Russia – some fighters have already taken this career path, according to the latest reports. Like the independent news site Meduza on Tuesday (May 16), citing four such individuals, Russia’s FSB secret service wants to recruit IS fighters to infiltrate other countries. The United States of America, Ukraine, where the Russian war of aggression against Kiev is currently raging, and Turkey are named as specific targets.
Ex-IS fighter becomes Russian agent
Accordingly, a source close to the FSB spoke of regular but largely unsuccessful attempts to penetrate the military circles in Ukraine. As an example, the medium reports on a former Russian IS fighter named Baurshan Kultanov, who, after four years behind bars, accepted the offer to exchange his next 16 years in prison for work for the FSB in Ukraine.
Kremlin intelligence sent him to Turkey in the spring of 2022, where he was instructed to gather information on underground efforts to send fighters to Ukraine. In Ukraine, the FSB has reportedly targeted the head of a volunteer battalion that has been fighting on the side of Ukraine since 2014 and has Crimean Tatars and Chechens in its ranks.
FSB wants to make ex-IS fighters double or triple agents
Kultanov, who is currently being held in Turkey for violating immigration rules, recalled the words of the FSB recruiters. “You are our eyes and ears, but you are not the only one. It would be nice to make you a double or even triple agent so that other special services would want to recruit you.” He didn’t have to “invent anything” because he was “really a terrorist and a Muslim”. “Just tell them you don’t like Russia and the FSB. They will welcome you with open arms.”
According to Ukraine data from January 2023, Kiev has exposed more than 600 Russian agents. Kultanov has asked for political asylum in Turkey – he could face death if he is deported to Russia.
Russia’s recruitment efforts in Ukraine an ‘open secret’
Another former IS fighter named Karim told the story Meduza, Russia’s recruitment efforts in Ukraine are an “open secret”. According to terrorism researcher Vera Mironova, US authorities have arrested around 50 Russians suspected of being FSB agents since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 at the US-Mexico border.
According to one of the Russian activists mentioned, there was a Kremlin meeting in 2020 with Timur Prokopenko, a senior official responsible for domestic policy. Plans to send the “fake activists” to the United States were discussed at this meeting. (cgsc)
Apparently, the Turkish secret service MIT killed the leader of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist militia, Abu Hussein al-Kurashi, in Syria. This was announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin wants to get Ukrainian people to take Russian citizenship. Anyone who refuses faces deportation.
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