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.