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Leaked memo suggests Western veterans trained Russians for war

Intelligence assessment claims former special forces members trained Russian citizens in Bulgaria and Serbia.

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published
Russian troops have received training from Western ex-special forces soldiers, the memo claims. AP

What this story says

  • A leaked intelligence memo suggests Western military veterans may have trained Russian citizens and active duty personnel.
  • The alleged training occurred at private camps in Bulgaria and Serbia, with a company named Alfa-Metal implicated.
  • The memo, compiled for Five Eyes intelligence agencies, reportedly found the claims with 'strong confidence'.
  • Alfa-Metal has denied training Russian citizens since the Ukraine war began and denied employing former SAS members.

Who covered it

Left 43%(7)Centre 28%(4)Right 29%(8)

Percentages are shares of the 19 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 22 of the 41 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

60/100

Craft

65/100

Hype

45/100

41 sources · methodology

A leaked intelligence memo suggests that Western military veterans, including former members of the British SAS and Australian special forces, may have been involved in training Russian citizens and active duty military personnel. The alleged training is reported to have taken place at private camps located in Bulgaria and Serbia. One company, Alfa-Metal, is specifically mentioned in connection with these activities.

The intelligence assessment was compiled for the Five Eyes intelligence agencies and reportedly concluded the claims with 'strong confidence'. The memo suggests that training courses offered by Alfa-Metal cost approximately €4,000 per person. Reports indicate that the training continued even after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Disputed claims

Alfa-Metal has denied training Russian citizens since the start of the war in Ukraine and has also denied employing former SAS members. The company stated that the allegations were 'false'. Alfa-Metal also denied any link to Alfa Region, a Russian private security company, attributing claims of a connection to a similarity in names. However, after being shown a page on Alfa-Metal's website referring to a 'partnership agreement' with Alfa Region, a spokesman confirmed 'historical professional contacts' and stated the company was reviewing archived marketing materials.

Omissions

None of the right-rated reports below mention the cost estimate of €4,000 per person for training courses that was reported in the full reports from WA Today and Telegrafi.com.

Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 10 Sept 2026, 10:15, and will add the sides that appear.

How other outlets pictured it

Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.

Veteranët e SAS-it trajnojnë rusët në kampe në Serbi dhe Bullgari për të luftuar në Ukrainë'
TelegrafiLeft

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

7 rated outlets

  • Left-rated reports led on the core allegation that Western special forces veterans may have trained Russians to fight in Ukraine. These reports highlighted that the training allegedly occurred in Serbia and Bulgaria and was based on a leaked intelligence report obtained by The Telegraph. Several left-rated outlets, including WA Today, The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, and Brisbane Times, used identical headlines, focusing on ex-Australian special forces troops being approached to train Russians. Index.hr and Telegrafi.com also focused on SAS veterans training Russians, with Telegrafi.com noting the training involved advanced combat skills. Unn.ua mentioned Alfa-Metal's denial of charges and the cost of courses.

Centre

4 rated outlets

  • Centre-rated reports focused on the leaked intelligence memo and the allegations of Western veterans training Russian military personnel. Outlets like WA Today and The Age, which were also rated left, used identical headlines to their left-rated counterparts. Portfolio.hu highlighted the 'serious scandal' of Russian soldiers being trained by legendary British SAS veteran elite soldiers. 15min.lt reported that former British Special Forces soldiers trained Russians for war in Ukraine, citing the classified intelligence memorandum. Dailymail.com reported that Western military veterans were recruited with 'strong confidence' to train Russian citizens and 'active duty military' personnel.

Right

8 rated outlets

  • Right-rated reports highlighted that former elite soldiers, including SAS and Navy Seals, are training Russian troops in Europe, citing The Telegraph and leaked documents. Expressen.se reported that former elite soldiers are training Russians in Europe. Observador.pt noted that a Five Eyes report revealed former British SAS and American Navy Seals soldiers will be training Russian forces, and that the case is under investigation. Korrespondent.net reported that Western special forces veterans could train Russians to fight in Ukraine, with Australian intelligence estimating information about former British SAS fighters with a 'high degree of confidence'. Aftenposten.no stated that a secret report claims former special forces from the UK, US and Australia are training Russian soldiers who will serve in the Ukraine war. Yournews.com reported that a leaked intelligence memo alleges Western special forces veterans trained Russian personnel.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Leaked memo suggests Western veterans trained Russians for war?
Of the 19 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 43% are rated left, 28% are rated centre, 29% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 41. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is Leaked memo suggests Western veterans trained Russians for war left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 19 rated outlets on this story, 43% are rated left, 28% are rated centre, 29% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of Leaked memo suggests Western veterans trained Russians for war biased?
Leaked memo suggests Western veterans trained Russians for war is one event reported by 41 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which outlets covered Leaked memo suggests Western veterans trained Russians for war?
41 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
What does the leaked intelligence memo allege?
The memo suggests that Western military veterans, including former British SAS and Australian special forces, may have trained Russian citizens and active duty military personnel. This alleged training reportedly took place at private camps in Bulgaria and Serbia.
Which company is named in connection with the alleged training?
The company Alfa-Metal is named in connection with the alleged training. The memo suggests that training courses offered by Alfa-Metal cost approximately €4,000 per person.
What is Alfa-Metal's response to the allegations?
Alfa-Metal has denied training Russian citizens since the start of the war in Ukraine and has also denied employing former SAS members, stating the allegations were 'false'. The company also initially denied links to Alfa Region, a Russian private security company.
Who compiled the intelligence memo?
The intelligence memo was compiled for the Five Eyes intelligence agencies, which include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The assessment reportedly found the claims with 'strong confidence'.

Read it at the source

41 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

7

Centre

4

Right

8

Not rated

22
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How did this read?

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Western Vets Trained Russians | MediaBias News