A group of 250 Ukrainian army instructors has arrived in the Idlib province of northern Syria to train militants from the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the production and modernization of drones, a Russian state-owned newspaper quoted an informed Syrian source as saying.
“There is confirmed information that 250 Ukrainian instructors have arrived in Idlib. They have been assigned to production facilities in the city of Idlib and the Jisir al-Shughur region,” the source said, noting that the instructors are focused on training in the production and enhancement of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
“More than 250 UAVs have been delivered to HTS in Idlib in batches, disguised as components among civilian goods,” the source added.
Meanwhile, the Syrian newspaper Al Watan reported that Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s intelligence services, has maintained consistent contact with the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, seeking to recruit combatants to join the Ukrainian armed forces.
Syria: 250 Ukrainian military instructors deployed in Idlib for drone training