British SAS and US Navy Seal veterans 'among Western ex servicemen training Russians to fight in Ukraine' at Bulgarian military camps, leaked report claims

British SAS and US Navy veterans are training Russians to fight in Ukraine in a military camp in Bulgaria, a report has revealed.The Western military veterans were found to be recruited, with 'strong confidence', to train Russian citizens as well as 'active duty military' personnel, according to an assessment compiled for Five Eyes intelligence agencies. The findings emerged after a memo compiled for the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) was reportedly leaked. Within which, two former Australian special forces operatives and an active-duty reservist said they were approached to become instructors at training camps in Bulgaria and Serbia which allegedly worked with Russians. The alleged memo said a camp run by Alfa-Metal center, a military training company in Mejdeni, in northern Bulgaria, hires staff from a 'range of backgrounds' including the SAS, the Australian Commando Regiment, US police forces and the Navy Seals. The Alfa-Metal international center offers special forces training and advanced sniper courses for around €5,000 (£4,292) per person. It markets itself to 'personnel from major security companies', targeting bodyguards, presidential security and private military companies. But the leaked report said that since Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the private training camps in Europe have continued to train Russian citizens. According to the whistleblowers, the camp continued to train Russian citizens in 2025. While the Alfa-Metal center's website includes photographs of the logos of the SAS and US Navy Seals when crediting its 'expert' instructors from 'all over the world'.It is illegal for former special forces staff to use their training to assist a foreign state, under both UK and Australian law. Alfa-Metal, a military training company in Mejdeni, in northern Bulgaria, is believed to be hiring British SAS veterans as instructors (Pictured: Advertisement on Alfa-Metal centre's social media) The Alfa-Metal international center offers special forces training and advanced sniper courses for around €5,000 (£4,292) per person (Pictured: Advertisement on Alfa-Metal centre's social media)It is understood the company also posted a job advert for SAS veterans to work at the Bulgarian centre on LinkedIn. The advert posted six months ago, as reported by The Telegraph, sought 'a UK citizen' with 'a strong operational background and proven instructional experience'. 'We're currently looking for an experienced SAS instructor to join our team,' the company wrote. 'If you're passionate about training, professionalism and raising standards, we'd love to hear from you.' The centre describes itself on its website as being 'the Bulgarian representative office' for 'UK-based Alfa Metal Ltd'. It claims to have trained more than 7,000 professionals. It also wrote it introduced drone training courses in 2025, after claiming it became a certified Aviation Training Center. Advanced drone training courses can reach €5,500 (£4,723).Russia has suffered 1.4 million casualties, including up to 500,000 fatalities, on the battlefield, according to Western officials. It is understood Moscow is losing 6,000 more soldiers a month than its current recruitment levels.The leaked memo is now believed to be under investigation by the Australian SIS, with a source disclosing the findings are likely to be shared with the UK and US through the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network. The Daily Mail has been unable to verify the claims made by the memo independently. It is understood the company also posted a job advert for SAS veterans to work at the Bulgarian centre (Pictured: Advertisement on Alfa-Metal centre's social media) The Alfa-Metal center's website includes photographs of the logos of the SAS and US Navy Seals when crediting its 'expert' instructors from 'all over the world'Some SAS sources rejected the accusations that veterans had been used, describing such a move as a betrayal of their values. One said the SAS is a 'small community' and 'people talk', adding: 'If people were doing that, we'd know...I'd be incredibly surprised and deeply disappointed.'The findings come after Russian Leader Vladimir Putin broke a 72-hour pause on the Russian-Ukraine war by launching strikes on Kyiv. The temporary ceasefire was kept while US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff visited Moscow and Kyiv this month with a plan to end the four-year-old Ukraine war.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of 'senseless terror' after the devastating volley of missiles caused more civilian deaths in Ukraine. Hours after the barrage of ballistics, Ukraine warned Britain's Defence Secretary, Wes Streeting, that an estimated 23 billion Euro of essential funding pledged by its allies remains outstanding.Russia has replaced huge night-time barrages with near-relentless raids by a small number of fast jet-powered drones that Ukrainian defences have struggled to combat, due to a shortage of air defence missiles. At least two people were killed and ten were injured in the air strikes on Kyiv. Some 31 of 32 Russian cruise missiles were intercepted but, as Ukraine officials conceded, an undisclosed number of ballistic missiles evaded their defences.US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner (L) and US President's special envoy Steve Witkoff (R) were met by Putin's investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev (centre) Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to Western allies to increase their support to counter Russia's aerial bombardmentOn Tuesday President Zelensky said: 'Russia deliberately tried to calculate for maximum damage to life. No strike against Ukraine and against life can be left unpunished. Russia must be stopped.'Everyday we make the case to our partners for our need for interceptors. Ballistic missiles remain particularly difficult to intercept.'President Zelensky thanked Germany for the donation of two Patriot launch systems from its armoury and Britain for a £100million winter munitions package. But overall, Western donations are falling short of Ukraine's needs.Hours later, at the latest meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, the country's defence chief Yevhenii Khmara warned Western ministers, including the UK's Wes Streeting:'The unity in Europe, the unity of the entire world, is necessary for us to implement our war plan. The plan is only as good as the resources to implement it and financial decisions are needed today.'Of the 70 billion Euros for securities pledged in Ankara [at the last NATO summit], 62 billion has been provided, including bilateral assistance and the European Union loan. The additional 8 billion is still outstanding.'However, I would like to stress that the overall defence gap, or deficit, is 23 billion Euro. I ask that you make the necessary financial decisions by November, so that we can see results on the battlefield already this winter.'Mr Streeting responded: 'We owe it to the Ukrainian people to give them every bit of support through what is inevitably a challenging winter and to demonstrate to the aggressors in Moscow that our commitment to Ukraine remains unwavering. According to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is seeking to achieve the 'maximum damage to life' from air strikes'Minister Khmara has been very clear about the Ukrainian requirement for 300 Patriot missiles from partner stocks, 500 air-to-air interceptors and £2 billion for drones.'The UK is also running out of time to meet its commitment to supply Ukraine with 120,000 drones this year. Mr Streeting said 'over 25,000' had been delivered so far in 2026 'with thousands more to be delivered before winter'.On Tuesday night, official defence sources confirmed the UK still intends to reach the 120,000 target as deliveries tend to be weighed towards the end of the year. However, filling the 23 billion Euro gap will take a big effort by Ukraine's allies, according to sources.Russia's latest attacks targeted critical infrastructure in Kyiv, Odesa and Kharkiv, and Sumy where a railway station was struck. Overall, Ukraine intercepted 175 aerial munitions. The country seldom discloses how many Kremlin warheads evaded its defences.Buildings were destroyed and fires broke out in at least five districts of Kyiv. The UK's latest support package includes air defence interceptors, large-calibre artillery rounds and drones. While Ukraine could use the £100million to buy US Patriot defensive missiles.The provisions were unveiled as Romania confirmed its security services foiled a Russian sabotage mission on its soil.A spokesperson for the Ministry for Defence said: 'It is longstanding policy of successive Governments not to comment on UK Special Forces or intelligence matters.'We have robust legislation in place to tackle foreign hostile activity, and the National Security Act gives our intelligence agencies and police the tools they need to detect and disrupt threats.'The Alfa-Metal centre has been contacted for comment. READ MORE: Inside Trump and Putin's high-stakes 'hour-long' call after secret Moscow tripDo YOU have a story? Email isabella.machin@dailymail.co.uk