British SAS and US Navy Seal veterans ‘among Western ex servicemen training Russians to fight in Ukraine’ at Bulgarian military camps, leaked report claims
A leaked intelligence memo reportedly claims that former British SAS and US Navy Seal personnel are among Western veterans training Russian citizens, including active-duty military personnel, at private military camps in Bulgaria and Serbia. The assessment, compiled for the Australian Secret Intelligence Service as part of Five Eyes intelligence-sharing, alleges the practice has continued since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and potentially breaches UK and Australian law, which bars former special forces personnel from using their training to assist a foreign state.
The allegations centre on the Alfa-Metal training centre in Mejdeni, northern Bulgaria, which offers special forces and sniper courses for around €5,000 (£4,292) and drone training for up to €5,500 (£4,723), claiming to have trained over 7,000 professionals. Two former Australian special forces operatives and a reservist said they were approached to instruct there, and the centre reportedly advertised for an SAS instructor on LinkedIn. Some SAS sources have rejected the claims as a betrayal of their values, and the Daily Mail says it could not independently verify the memo, which is now under investigation by Australian intelligence.
In short
- Leaked memo alleges Western veterans train Russians at Bulgarian camps
- Alfa-Metal centre reportedly uses SAS, Navy Seal instructors
- Claims unverified; under investigation by Australian intelligence
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
If the allegations are accurate, training Russian personnel could help a foreign military wage war against Ukraine and may violate laws or former service members’ obligations. A defender of restrictions would argue that specialist military skills carry particular risks when transferred to a state engaged in an invasion, and that enforcing clear limits protects national security and public trust.
The case against
The claims remain unverified, and former service members should not be treated as culpable on the basis of a leaked assessment alone. A defender of veterans’ freedom to teach could argue that lawful instruction abroad is not automatically participation in combat, and that any restrictions should be precisely defined and supported by evidence rather than inferred from past service or disputed reporting.
Explained simply
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, and Russia has since relied on both its regular armed forces and recruits from within the country. Private military training centres offer courses in skills such as marksmanship, tactics and drone use, sometimes to people serving in the armed forces.
The leaked memo reportedly focuses on Alfa-Metal, a training centre in northern Bulgaria, and alleges that Western former special forces personnel have instructed Russian trainees there and at camps in Serbia. The claims have not been independently verified, and Australian intelligence is investigating the memo.
The issue matters because former special forces personnel may be restricted by law from using their training to help a foreign state. It also raises questions about how private training centres vet their clients and instructors, and about the movement of military skills across borders.