A leaked Five Eyes memo reviewed by The Telegraph claims Western military veterans were recruited to train Russian nationals at a private camp in Mejdeni, Bulgaria. The memo cites online adverts and instructor profiles as evidence and says the centre offered advanced courses costing about €4,000 per person. Alfa-Metal denies the allegations and ASIS is reportedly investigating. Independent verification of the memo's claims is currently lacking.
Leaked Five Eyes Memo Alleges Ex-Special Forces Instructors Recruited To Train Russians At Bulgarian Camp
A collage of promotional material on Alfa-Metal's website
A leaked intelligence memo, reviewed by The Telegraph and reportedly compiled for the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) and the Five Eyes partnership, alleges with "strong confidence" that Western military veterans were recruited to train Russian nationals and some active-duty personnel preparing to fight in Ukraine.
2708 Russia SAS veterans
What The Memo Claims
The assessment is said to be based on interviews with two former Australian special forces operatives and an active-duty reservist who were approached to instruct at training camps in Bulgaria and Serbia. The memo identifies a combat facility operated by a company called Alfa-Metal in Mejdeni, northern Bulgaria, and says the centre used instructors from "a range of backgrounds" including the SAS, the Australian Commando Regiment, US police units and US Navy SEALs.
Alfa-Metal included the SAS logo on its website and the leaked memo claims that at least one of its instructors had served in the elite unit
Evidence Cited
Documents and online material cited in the memo include a photograph on Alfa-Metal's website that appears to show the SAS badge on a page promoting its instructors, and a LinkedIn job advertisement seeking "an experienced SAS instructor" that requested "a UK citizen" with "a strong operational background and proven instructional experience." Alfa-Metal's promotional material also lists instructors who claim US special operations experience. The centre advertises advanced sniper and special-forces-style courses costing around €4,000 (≈£3,400) per participant.
Alfa-Metal sought to recruit SAS instructors through LinkedIn earlier this year
Alfa-Metal's Response
Alfa-Metal told The Telegraph it had never employed former SAS personnel and that it had not trained Russian citizens since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, calling the allegations "false." The company denied a formal link to a Russian firm called Alfa Region, though it acknowledged "historical professional contacts" and said it was reviewing archived marketing material to remove outdated content after the connection was raised.
Alfa-Metal promotional materials show camouflaged men stalking through a forest with silenced assault rifles
Investigation, Legal Context And Verification
The Telegraph reports the memo is under investigation by ASIS, and a source close to the inquiry indicated the findings could be shared with UK and US partners via the Five Eyes network. If verified, the activity could contravene UK and Australian laws that prohibit former special forces personnel from using their capabilities to assist a foreign state. The Telegraph and other outlets have not independently corroborated the memo's claims.
Alfa-Metal offers training for combat services including advanced sniper courses and special forces training
Reactions From The SAS Community
"The SAS is a small community, and people talk. If people were doing that, we'd know. If anyone was doing this, I'd be incredibly surprised and deeply disappointed," a senior SAS source said.
Former and retired members of the regiment quoted in coverage called such behaviour unethical and said many public claims of SAS service are false: one source estimated there are about 5,000 genuine SAS veterans and many thousands of false claimants who embellish CVs.
Context: Russian Manpower Shortages
Western officials quoted in reporting estimate Russia has suffered extremely heavy losses in the war — figures cited include roughly 1.4 million casualties with up to 500,000 fatalities — and intelligence sources say Moscow may be losing about 6,000 more troops per month than it can recruit. The memo suggests these strains could be driving Russians to seek training abroad to supplement domestic instruction.
Caveats
The allegations rest on the leaked memo and interviews with a small number of sources; Alfa-Metal has disputed the claims and publicly denied recent training of Russian nationals. Independent, verifiable evidence has not been published, and the investigation by ASIS may provide further clarity.
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