Former Western special forces personnel were allegedly recruited to train Russian citizens and active-duty military personnel at combat training camps in Bulgaria and Serbia, according to a leaked intelligence report obtained by The Telegraph.
The report, prepared for the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) and shared with Five Eyes intelligence agencies, claims with “strong confidence” that Western military veterans were recruited as instructors at private combat-training facilities that allegedly hosted Russian clients.
The allegations focus particularly on camps operating in Bulgaria and Serbia, raising questions about how Russian nationals could access advanced military training on European soil despite Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
According to the leaked assessment, intelligence officers interviewed two former Australian special forces personnel and an active-duty reservist who said they had been approached about working as instructors at training camps in Bulgaria and Serbia.
One of the facilities identified in the report is Alfa-Metal, a military training company operating in Mejdeni, northern Bulgaria.
The camp advertises special forces training and advanced sniper courses costing approximately €4,000 per person, targeting private military contractors, bodyguards and corporate security personnel.
However, the intelligence report alleges that private military training facilities in Europe continued accepting Russian citizens after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The former Australian military personnel interviewed for the intelligence assessment reportedly said they had been informed by current employees that Russian nationals were still being trained at the facility as recently as 2025.
The courses allegedly included advanced close-quarters combat and other military skills that could potentially be relevant to battlefield operations.
The report also points to connections between Alfa-Metal and Alfa Region, a Russian private security company based in St Petersburg. Alfa Region has reportedly advertised the Bulgarian training facility on its website and promoted courses involving instructors with special forces and police experience from several countries.
Alfa-Metal, however, strongly denies the allegations.
The company told The Telegraph that it had never employed former members of the British SAS, had not trained Russian citizens since the invasion of Ukraine and had no connection to Alfa Region. After The Telegraph highlighted references to a partnership between the companies on Alfa-Metal’s website, the company acknowledged “historical professional contacts” and said it was reviewing older marketing material.
The leaked intelligence report also identifies Serbia as another location where training camps allegedly hosted Russian clients. The details surrounding the Serbian facilities remain less clear publicly, but the allegations raise broader concerns about the use of Balkan countries as locations for military training involving Russian nationals.
The possibility that Russian citizens — including individuals connected to military or private security structures — could receive advanced combat instruction in European countries is particularly sensitive given Russia’s continuing war against Ukraine.
The report claims that Western veterans with experience in elite military units could have been among those providing instruction. Alfa-Metal’s promotional material has featured the SAS logo, while the company also published a recruitment advertisement seeking a British citizen with a strong operational background and instructional experience.
The Telegraph was unable to independently verify the intelligence report’s claims.
Several former SAS personnel also questioned the allegations, arguing that former members of the elite regiment would be highly unlikely to knowingly train Russians who could subsequently fight against Ukraine and potentially British forces or their allies.
A senior SAS source described such conduct as deeply unlikely, while also warning that individuals sometimes falsely claim to have served in elite military units.
The allegations are nevertheless serious enough that the intelligence assessment is reportedly being investigated by the Australian intelligence service. The findings could also be shared with Britain and the United States through the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network.
The case raises a particularly uncomfortable question for European governments: how were Russian nationals allegedly able to access advanced military training at facilities operating in Bulgaria and Serbia while Russia was waging war against Ukraine?
If the allegations are substantiated, the issue would go beyond the activities of individual instructors or private companies. It would raise questions about oversight, due diligence and whether European-based military training facilities are being exploited by Russian-linked clients to acquire battlefield skills.
For now, however, the allegations remain unproven. The Telegraph has not independently verified the intelligence claims, while Alfa-Metal has categorically rejected them.
What is clear is that the alleged presence of Russian clients at military training camps in Bulgaria and Serbia has triggered scrutiny from Western intelligence agencies — and could expose a little-known channel through which Russian personnel may have sought access to advanced combat expertise outside Russia.
