Skip to content
Edit post

Media: Russia's FSB recruits former ISIS militants to be agents in Ukraine

by The Kyiv Independent news desk May 16, 2023 4:22 PM 1 min read
This audio is created with AI assistance

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has been recruiting former ISIS fighters over the years as their "agents" in countries like Ukraine, independent Russian media outlet Meduza reported on May 16.

According to Meduza, Baurzhan Kultanov, a native of Russia who went to Syria to fight for the Islamic State, became disillusioned when he realized that it was not fighting for Muslims but "creating chaos."

After two attempts, Kultanov left Syria for Turkey. He tried to apply for political asylum but officials discovered his past involvement with ISIS, resulting in him being sent back to Russia.

Kultanov was given four years and four months in prison if he would cooperate with Russian intelligence, Meduza wrote.

Upon being released in 2019, Kultanov was told that he would be sent to Ukraine where they were "interested in having their agents." More specifically, Russian special services wanted him to infiltrate the Chechen and Tatar battalions fighting on the side of Ukraine.

Sources cited by Meduza said there are numerous cases of such "agents" in Ukraine and elsewhere where they are tasked with spying, trying to corrupt people of interest, or even committing contract killings.

Watch also our video on the growth of Russian 'PMCs'
Power Lines Ep. 9 – Russian intelligence services
For years, Russian President Vladimir Putin has used his intelligence, including the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (GRU), to try and understand Europe — what they are thinking, how they would react to a crisis of war. The fai…

News Feed

6:58 PM

Ombudsman reacts to alleged Russian execution of Ukrainian POWs.

"The video shows how Russian soldiers shot five captured Ukrainian defenders," Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said, referring to drone footage released by the 110th Mechanized Brigade earlier on Dec. 22 that appears to have captured Russian troops shooting surrendered Ukrainian soldiers from behind.
5:15 AM

Media identifies nearly 85,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine.

According to the outlets' conclusions for the year, 2024 will likely mark the "war's deadliest year," with a current count of over 20,000 deaths confirmed over the past 12 months — although final conclusions cannot yet be made as data on casualties continues to emerge.
11:17 PM

Zelensky meets with CIA director in Kyiv.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 21 that he met with CIA Director William Burns in Ukraine, marking a rare public acknowledgment of their discussions during Russia’s full-scale invasion.
4:16 AM

IMF approves $1.1 billion in funding for Ukraine.

The IMF approved the $1.1 billion tranche after completing its sixth review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), a plan to provide Ukraine with over $15 billion in budget support over four years.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.