LONDON (Reuters) – Russian mercenaries with ties to Moscow’s spies have elevated their presence in Ukraine in latest weeks, stoking fears amongst some NATO members that Russia might attempt to engineer a pretext for an invasion, three senior Western safety sources mentioned.
They mentioned their issues had strengthened in latest weeks {that a} Russian incursion into Ukraine could possibly be preceded by an info conflict, and cyber assaults on Ukraine’s essential infrastructure comparable to electrical energy and fuel networks.
Russia might additionally use the mercenaries to sow discord and paralyse Ukraine by means of focused assassinations and using specialised weaponry, the sources mentioned.
The United States warned once more on Sunday that Russia might stage a “false flag” operation inside Ukraine to justify an invasion.
“It is probably going that Russian mercenaries, beneath the course of the Russian state, might be concerned in any hostilities in Ukraine, probably together with a pretext for an invasion,” mentioned one Western safety supply, who spoke on situation of anonymity.
The Western safety sources mentioned mercenaries had been deploying from Russian non-public navy firms (PMCs) with shut ties to the Federal Security Service (FSB), the principle successor to the Soviet-era KGB, and the GRU navy intelligence company.
Among these deployed in latest weeks was a former GRU officer who additionally labored in the Wagner mercenary group. The former officer has gone to Donetsk, one in every of two areas in jap Ukraine managed by pro-Russian separatists since 2014, the sources mentioned.
Reuters was unable to establish what the previous officer, whose id was not offered, had been tasked with doing. Reuters was additionally unable to achieve the Wagner Group for remark.
The Kremlin instructed Reuters on Monday that Russia was not strengthening its presence on Ukrainian territory and that Russian troops had by no means been current there and weren’t now.
The Russian Defence Ministry declined to remark when requested in writing on Friday concerning the Western allegations.
The Russian mercenary teams have equipped weapons, skilled particular operations personnel and navy coaching to pro-Russian militias in jap Ukraine, the sources mentioned.
The sources additionally instructed Reuters that some operatives of the Wagner mercenary group have been embedded on the Ukrainian border after coaching at a GRU base close to the southern Russian metropolis of Krasnodar.
Reuters was unable to independently confirm the details about the actions of Russian mercenaries in jap Ukraine.
Other Russian mercenary teams linked to the FSB and GRU have additionally elevated their actions in Ukraine for the reason that begin of the yr, the sources mentioned.
Reuters couldn’t attain the mercenary teams in Ukraine for remark.
‘HYBRID WAR
The United States has expressed fears that Russia might use mercenaries, particular operations forces and different grey-zone warfare strategies to delegitimize Kyiv forward of invasion, a number of U.S. officers instructed Reuters.
The Pentagon referred Reuters to remarks by Pentagon spokesman John Kirby who mentioned earlier this month that Russia was in search of to manufacture a pretext for an invasion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has mentioned Wagner and different non-public teams neither symbolize the Russian state nor are paid by it, although he says they’ve a proper to function offered they don’t break Russian legislation.
The European Union imposed sanctions on Wagner final yr, accusing it of fuelling violence, looting pure sources and destabilising nations all over the world.
Russia denies it plans to annex one other a part of Ukraine and Putin says the West is sowing hysteria in a crude try and lure Russia into conflict after ignoring the Kremlin’s issues about NATO enlargement after the Cold War.
(Additional reporting by Phil Stewart in Washington; Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Jon Boyle)
