Afghan military and security sources have revealed that Russia has been recruiting troops from Afghanistan’s elite National Army Commando Corps for the Ukraine war.
A few former commandos revealed that they have been contacted on WhatsApp and Signal to join a Russian “foreign legion” to fight in Ukraine, with about 10,000 former Afghan forces reported to have expressed interest.
Russia’s Recruiting #Afghan Commandos https://t.co/Jyw4Zz7WMz
— Lynne O'Donnell (@lynnekodonnell) October 25, 2022
About 20,000 to 30,000 Afghan soldiers trained by the United States (US) Navy SEALs and the British Special Air Service were left behind after the US withdrew from the country last year. About a hundred senior officers were evacuated, while thousands fled to neighbouring countries; the remaining are in hiding in the country. Some commandos have also been relocated to the United Kingdom (UK), with reports that they have formed a new unit in the British Army, like the Gurkhas.
“They have no country, no jobs, no future. They have nothing to lose,” a military source told Foreign Policy, adding, “They are waiting for work for $3 to $4 a day in Pakistan or Iran or $10 a day in Turkey, and if Wagner or any other intelligence services come to a guy and offer $1,000 to be a fighting man again, they won’t reject it. And if you find one guy to recruit, he can get half his old unit to join up because they are like brothers—and pretty soon, you’ve got a whole platoon.”
Another unnamed former commando also revealed that the Wagner Group has been recruiting former Afghan elite troops. Former Defence Intelligence Agency official Rebekah Koffler noted that Iran has been assisting Russia in these recruitments. In this respect, an anonymous former Afghan commando disclosed connecting his colleagues to a recruitment office in Tehran. “When they accept Russia’s offer, the commando personnel’s phones are turned off. They proceed very secretly,” he said.
And unlike the morass of the Russian military, Afghan special forces have years of intense combat experience fighting against an adversary whose morale was off the charts, and intensive training from US operators who kill people real good.
— James Griffin (@spawnofKahn) October 26, 2022
As per a report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) from May, the US spent about $90 billion to build the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. In fact, in his August report, Republican Representative Michael McCaul warned that “the recruitment of former Afghan military and intelligence personnel poses a major national security risk due to the fact these Afghan personnel know the US military and intelligence community’s tactics, techniques, and procedures.”
A US Department of Defense spokesperson told Fox News that the Pentagon is aware of such reports and that officials will “monitor” the situation.