According to CCTV News, on April 23, local time, The chairman of the Investigation Commission of the Russian Federation, Bastrekin, ordered an analysis and investigation of the information of 20 "sabotage operation" experts sent by the United Kingdom to Ukraine. These "sabotage experts" are said to be from the British Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) and have been deployed to western Ukraine.
Russian media said that the agency pointed out in a statement that considering that the British SAS is an expert in "organizing mass protests, assassinating important people, and planning terrorist attacks", the incident will be thoroughly investigated. It is reported that SAS is one of the most elite special forces in the United Kingdom, specializing in counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, secret reconnaissance and other operations.
↑Satellite quoted sources as saying that Britain sent military personnel to Lviv to support the sabotage operation in Kiev.
Foreign media said that it is not clear what measures the Russian side will take to respond if it finds out the "SAS action in Ukraine". However, given that Russia has previously warned Western countries not to intervene in special military operations in Ukraine, russia's investigation into "possible NATO national forces" will be of great significance.
Source: At least two groups of British experts arrived in Ukraine
Russian media quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that at least two groups of British soldiers rushed from hereford, where the SAS headquarters is located, to the air base in Lviv, western Ukraine, to provide support for the Ukrainian side's "sabotage operations". Each group consisted of 8-10 officers, all of whom were experts in sabotage and guerrilla activities, as well as experts in recruiting and training agents to operate in enemy areas, the sources said.
The source added that saS experts are recognized as one of the most capable in these areas, "they are not the average special forces, they have a high level of literacy, each group has a theorist, and the rest of the members are also experts in various fields." According to the source' analysis, the purpose of their visit to Ukraine is likely to improve the skills and efficiency of Ukrainian special forces, so that they can better coordinate the activities of sabotage organizations in Ukrainian territory controlled by Russian forces.
Prior to this, according to British media reports on April 15, SAS was training Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine. Ukrainian officers stationed in two battalions around Kiev were quoted by British media as saying that they had received military training from British special forces, and British soldiers came to them to instruct Ukrainian soldiers in the use of British NLAW anti-tank missiles. British media said that this is the first time since Russia has taken special military operations against Ukraine that British special forces have been confirmed to train Ukrainian troops in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.
↑British media reported that SAS is training local troops in Ukraine.
The report also pointed out that the British Ministry of Defence refused to confirm whether British special forces had visited Ukraine, but James Hippe, the Minister of State for the British Armed Forces, said that a group of Ukrainian soldiers would travel to the United Kingdom for training.
According to the reference news network reported on April 22, on the 22nd local time, British Prime Minister Johnson said that dozens of Ukrainian soldiers have gone to the United Kingdom to learn how to use the armored vehicles provided by the United Kingdom. An official confirmed that "dozens" of Ukrainian servicemen arrived in Britain last week to train how to use 120 armored vehicles supplied to Ukraine by Britain. Johnson's spokesman said more Ukrainian servicemen were expected to travel to Britain for training in the future.
Russian media said that in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Britain has always been an important supporter of Ukraine and one of the major arms suppliers. In January, the British provided anti-tank weapons systems and training to Ukrainian forces. After the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Britain has been continuously sending weapons and equipment to Ukraine.
↑ Infographic. On April 9, British Prime Minister Johnson visited Kiev for talks with Ukrainian President Zelenskiy.
According to foreign media reports, the British government is preparing to supply Ukraine with the "Storm" missile launcher, which will be transported to Ukraine by transport aircraft in the next short period of time. On April 23, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed in a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Selenskiy that Britain would provide ukraine with more defensive military assistance, including heavy weapons.
The "White Helmets" funded by Western countries have been sold again in Ukraine
Russian media quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that when SAS sabotage teams were deployed in conflict areas, their personnel often acted in the name of "white helmets" medical personnel or other aid workers.
In this Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the "White Helmets" organization, which was established during the Syrian civil war, is also providing a series of guidance to the Ukrainian side. According to British media reports on April 11, the "White Helmets" organization is producing training videos for Ukraine, instructing it on "how to save people and record". In a series of videos produced as planned, members of the White Helmets will teach first aid techniques and how to find unexploded bombs.
The British media pointed out that the primary goal of the "White Helmets" group is to make people in Kiev understand that "proper recording of rescue operations helps to provide relevant credible evidence", and suggested that Ukrainians use gopro cameras to film rescue operations for later use.
In previous Syrian civil wars, the White Helmets, which called themselves the "Civilian Rescue Force" and often posted some online videos of Syrian civilians rescued from the rubble, were famous in the West and widely supported. The Syrian government accuses the group of having ties to extremists and engaging in hostile propaganda campaigns.
Although the group claims to be "neutral and unbiased," it has received significant funding from many Western countries. British independent investigative journalist Van Niss billy reportedly found in a 2016 investigation that the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands are the three main funding providers of the White Helmets.
In addition, the organization has also been exposed to "posing for rescue videos" many times. In a 2018 interview with People's Daily, Syrian freelance photographer Mohammed Hussam said he had been unknowingly employed twice in the "rescue" operations of the White Helmets. "I can say with certainty that it's closer to a kind of performance." As more and more attention has been paid to it, the rescue process of the "White Helmets" has revealed more and more horse's feet.
Red Star News reporter Wang Yalin intern reporter Li Jinrui
Edited by Zhang Xun
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