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☆ Navy SEALs on snowmobiles raced across the frozen Arctic to link up with an attack sub that broke the ice during a special ops first
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US Navy SEALs and allied commandos successfully executed a first-of-its-kind Arctic Circle drill recently. Over 400 special operations forces delivered a package to the submarine USS Hampton. Previously, the US had less of a focus on the Arctic, but with Russia and China taking up an increased presence in the region, the US now has more interest in pursuing Arctic training. AdvertisementSEALs and Norwegian Naval Special Operations Commandos are pictured next to the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Hampton (SSN 767) while two MH-47G Chinook helicopters, assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), hover overhead during an joint submarine/special operations forces integration exercise. US and allied military personnel training in the Arctic must work through temperatures below -40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Persons: —, Bill Gallagher, Jeff Atherton, Martin Carey Organizations: US Navy, Service, US Army Green Berets, 160th SOAR, Warfare, 109th Airlift, New York Air National Guard, Special Operations Commandos, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, . Troops Locations: Hampton, Los Angeles, Norway, Canada, Denmark, United Kingdom, Alaska, Greenland, Russia, China

☆ Western special ops activity is on the rise around a new US partner in a strategic but unstable area of the Mediterranean
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewA former Russian partner who has drawn closer to the US in recent years has lately become something of a hub for Western special operations activity. The country's proximity to Israel, Gaza, and the Red Sea is important for special operations training. Naval Special Warfare Operators (SEALs) and Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (SWCC) conduct live fire weapons training with Cypriot Underwater Demolition Command (MYK) forces near Limassol, Cyprus on Jan. 29, 2024. In 2015, Nicosia signed a deal with Moscow allowing Russian warships to access its ports for replenishment. AdvertisementFollowing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Cyprus barred Russian warships from its ports and scrapped the 2015 agreement, something the US had demanded.

Persons: —, Bill Gallagher, Bill Carlisle, Jeff Butler, Butler, Gallagher Organizations: Service, US Navy SEALs, Warfare, Cypriot, Business, Naval, Craft, Cypriot Underwater, Command, US Navy, Navy, NFL, Super, White House, Cypriot National Guard, Turkish, New Jersey National Guard, Navy SEAL Locations: Russian, Cyprus, Gaza, Germany, Netherlands, Akrotiri, Yemen, Limassol, Levant, North Africa, Asia, Israel, East Coast, Russia, Nicosia, Moscow, Greece, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Turkey, Ukraine, Cypriot

☆ The US military doesn't have the icebreakers to compete in the Arctic and is 'severely outnumbered' by Russia, commander warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThe US does not have enough icebreaker ships to compete in the Arctic the way Russia can with its much larger fleet, a US military commander warned. Russia has deployed nuclear-powered icebreakers called Arktika and Sibir, which have been characterized as the largest and strongest icebreaker ships in the world. "We need to make sure that we are trying to close a very very significant icebreaker gap, Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan said at the time. For more than 20 years, the Coast Guard has been asking for funds for the Arctic, but those requests have been deferred, US Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter W. Gautier said last year. AdvertisementWith growing threats in this region, the US military has been increasingly looking at Arctic training.

Persons: —, Gregory M, Guillot, Maine Sen, Angus King, Alaska Sen, Dan Sullivan, Peter W, Gautier Organizations: Service, US Air Force, Northern Command, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Business, Coast Guard, Services, USCGC Polar Star, US Coast Guard, US Navy, Army Locations: Russia, Maine, Sibir, Alaska, China

☆ US sees signs Iran is worried about escalating proxy attacks amid heightened tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Officials cautioned that there is no sense that Tehran’s growing wariness is likely to change its broader strategy of supporting proxy attacks on US and Western targets — although it could signal adjustments around the margins. But officials do believe that Iran is pursuing a calibrated approach to the conflict that is designed to avoid sparking all-out war. But some current and former US officials are skeptical that Iran will substantively change its tactics. ‘Varying degress of loyalty’The escalations also underscore the varying degrees of control that Iran actually has over its proxy groups. Among the groups, Iran has the least amount of operational control over the Houthis in Yemen, multiple officials told CNN.

Persons: Biden, Bill Burns, Norm Roule, Roule, “, Fadel, Ahmad Al, Jonathan Lord, ”, ” Lord, Israel “, Hossein, Mohammed Hamoud, Wang Yi, Jake Sullivan, Iran ”, we’re Organizations: Militant, Iranian, CNN, White, CIA, Foreign Affairs, Getty, Middle East Security, Center, New, US Navy, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, US, Anadolu Agency, Command, UN, Chinese Foreign, White House Locations: Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, United States, Tehran, China, India, Gaza, Europe, Baghdad, AFP, New American, Israel, Africa, Beijing, Bani, Sanaa, Red, Somalia, Bangkok, “ Beijing

☆ Photos show the Iranian missile parts US Navy SEALs seized in a deadly nighttime raid
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Lauren Frias | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Boarding team operationThe dhow was brought alongside the USS Lewis B. Puller and the advanced conventional weapons materials were offloaded. US Central Command Public Affairs Courtesy PhotoAfter identifying the dhow was carrying suspicious cargo, US Navy SEALs operating from USS Lewis B. Puller conducted a mission known as a visit, board, search, and seizure, or VBSS. Under the cover of night, the SEALs approached the dhow in a fast combatant craft and clambered up a ship's ladder to detain its crew while searching its holds for weapons bound for Yemen. A former Special Forces soldier described operations like the one conducted in the Red Sea as "dangerous" and "complex." "When you throw in nighttime, everything gets more complicated," Lino Miani, a retired Green Beret and combat diver, told Business Insider's Jake Epstein.

Persons: USS Lewis B, Puller, Lewis B, Lino Miani, Jake Epstein Organizations: USS, US, Command Public, US Navy, Special Forces, Green Beret Locations: Yemen

☆ Two US Navy SEALs missing off the coast of Somalia are dead, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Samantha Waldenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The two US Navy SEALs who went missing off the coast of Somalia on January 11 are dead, US Central Command said after searching for them for 10 days. “We regret to announce that after a 10-day exhaustive search, our two missing U.S. Navy SEALs have not been located and their status has been changed to deceased,” Central Command said in a statement Sunday. Our prayers are with the SEALs’ families, friends, the U.S. Navy, and the entire Special Operations community during this time,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, US CENTCOM commander. “We mourn the loss of our two brave Navy SEALs, and our hearts are with their families,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement Sunday. In addition to training Somali forces, the US has also coordinated with the Somali government to carry out strikes against al-Shabaab.

Persons: ” CENTCOM, “, ”, Michael Erik Kurilla, Lloyd Austin, CNN’s Oren Liebermann, Haley Britzky, Natasha Bertrand, Katie Bo Lillis, Jim Sciutto Organizations: CNN, US Navy, US, Command, U.S . Navy, ”, Special Warfare, Navy, US Africa Command Locations: Somalia, Japan, Spain, Shabaab, Somali, “ Al, U.S

☆ Two Missing US Navy SEALs Have Not Been Found, Status Changed to 'Deceased'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

(Reuters) - Two U.S. Navy SEALs who went missing in the Gulf of Aden earlier this month have not been located and their status has been changed to deceased, military officials said on Sunday.

Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Navy Locations: Gulf, Aden

☆ Losing Navy SEALs at sea during operations is extremely rare. It's only happened a handful of times.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Two Navy SEALs went missing overboard during an operation in the Red Sea last week, per CENTCOM. Losing Navy SEALs at sea during overseas operations is extremely rare, experts said. AdvertisementTwo US Navy SEALs are feared dead after going missing during a nighttime raid off the coast of Somalia more than a week ago. Such an accident is extremely rare, a military analyst and three retired Navy officers said. AdvertisementOver the years, the US Navy has experienced several incidents of SEALs lost at sea during overseas operations.

Persons: —, Joe Buccino, you've, They're, Bradley Martin, Matthew John Leathers, Buccino, Jack Keller, Michael Ernst, Robert Ramirez III, Rick Kaiser, Sam Tangredi, Tangredi Organizations: Navy, Losing Navy, Service, US Navy, US Central Command, Associated Press, Business, National Navy SEAL Museum, Daily Democrat, Navy SEAL Foundation, Navy SEAL, USNI, Navy Times Locations: Red, Somalia, Yemen, Grenada, Caribbean, Panama, Hawaii, Virginia, Marana , Arizona, California

☆ 2 US Navy SEALS lost at sea were part of a long struggle to stop Iran smuggling deadly weapons to its allies
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

They were helping seize Iranian weapons being sent to the Houthis in Yemen, CENTCOM said. The US Navy and its allies have made attempts to shut down this flow of weapons in the past. Advertisement"One of the main problems with the Red Sea in the Gulf of Aden is the type of states that surround them — Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen, and Sudan," Inglis told BI. Inglis predicts there will now be other such operations, with the US Navy targeting more vessels smuggling weapons. AdvertisementBut, he said, "Iran will continue sending weapons to them in the same way that the Soviet Union did to Cuba in the 1960s."

Persons: CENTCOM, —, Michael Erik Kurilla, Mark Cancian, Richard Kouyoumdjian Inglis, Inglis Organizations: Navy, Service, US Central Command, US Marine, Center for Strategic, International Studies, US Navy, Chilean Naval Reserve, Middle East Institute Locations: Somalia, Yemen, Iran, Gulf of Oman, Gulf, Aden, Ethiopia, Sudan, Israel, Soviet Union, Cuba

☆ US air strikes on Yemen have cut off key supply lines from Iran to the Houthis: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US and UK launched strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen last week. They cut off key supply lines from Iran to Yemen, Western officials told Bloomberg. AdvertisementThe US and UK air strikes have cut off key supply lines from Iran to the Houthis in Yemen, Bloomberg reported, citing Western officials. The report referred to the US and the UK strikes on January 9 and January 11. The US and its allies have been engaged in yearslong efforts to stop Iran from supplying weapons to Houthi fighters in Yemen .

Persons: —, Diamond, CENTCOM, Iran hasn't, Mark Cancian Organizations: US, Bloomberg, Service, Western, Business, US Central Command, US Navy, US Marine, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Yemen, Iran, Gulf of Oman

☆ Missions like the nighttime sea raid that saw 2 Navy SEALs go missing are 'dangerous' and 'complex,' former Special Forces soldier says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Two Navy SEALs went missing at sea during a raid to interdict smuggled Iranian weapons last week. Western forces have carried out numerous visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) missions in recent years. These operations can be "dangerous" and "complex," a former US Special Forces soldier said. A former US Special Forces soldier said these missions are particularly "dangerous" and "complex" for a number of reasons, including the difficulty of successfully mounting a moving target and the potential to encounter hostiles once on board. AdvertisementUS forces seized this dhow during a nighttime mission on Jan. 11, 2024, and maintained custody of it the following day.

Persons: —, hostiles, Lino Miani, USS Lewis B, CENTCOM, Michael Kurilla, Melissa Parrish, there's, Miani, Jason Dunham, Kyle McNally CENTCOM, Kurilla Organizations: Navy, US Special Forces, Service, Operations, Green Beret, Insider, USS, Puller, Central Command, US, Command Public, US Navy, US Army Green Berets, Combat, Foundation, US Navy SEAL, Royal Jordanian Naval Base, US Army, Troops, Pentagon, 1st, Special Operations, US Marine Corps, UN Locations: Somalia, Iran, Yemen, Aqaba, Camp Pendleton , California, Iranian

☆ Could the lost Navy SEALs still be alive? It's unlikely, but their world-class training gives them a shot.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewTwo US Navy SEALs who went missing off the coast of Somalia have little chance of survival after four days, military experts said. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. But their world-class training in water survival give them better chances than most people. Reached by Business Insider early on Monday, a Pentagon spokesperson said they "have nothing new to provide." Advertisement"If they were alive, they would have found them," Inglis told Business Insider.

Persons: —, US Fleet Forces Command didn't, John Kirby, CBS's, Richard Kouyoumdjian Inglis, Inglis, Mark Cancian, CENTCOM, Sam Tangredi, Tangredi Organizations: Service, US Navy, Business, Associated Press, Navy, Central Command, Pentagon, US Fleet Forces Command, National Security, Sunday, Chilean Naval Reserve, US Marine, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Somalia, Gulf, Aden

☆ 2 US Navy SEALs are missing off the coast of Somalia after rescue bid ends tragically, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

2 Navy SEALs fell into the water while on a mission off the coast of Somalia on Thursday. The pair were boarding a vessel when one fell into the water, and the other jumped in to help. AdvertisementTwo Navy SEALs are missing off the coast of Somalia after falling into the water during a nighttime boarding mission on Thursday, US officials told the Associated Press. The details of the Navy SEALs' mission and which vessel they were trying to board are still unclear, though it is known that pirates roam the coast of Somalia hunting for cargo ships to hijack. AdvertisementThe US Navy has often conducted such interdiction missions to intercept weapons on ships heading for Houthi-controlled Yemen, per AP.

Persons: — Organizations: Navy, Service, Associated Press, AP, US Central Command, Washington Post, Navy SEALs, The Washington, US Navy, U.S . 5th Fleet Locations: Somalia, Gulf, Aden, States, Iran, Houthi, Yemen

☆ In a US showdown with China, there are some missions with no special-operations 'easy button'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Special-operations forces have been a centerpiece of US military operations for two decades. US leaders should remember that special operators aren't suited for some tasks, one expert says. But in an era of strategic competition with China, there are some missions with no special-ops "easy button," according to David Ucko, a professor and expert on irregular warfare. First, the US special-operations community should consolidate its core strengths, particularly irregular warfare, which is "highly relevant" to strategic competition with China. US Navy SEALs train with Philippine Navy special-operations and Australian army special-operations troops in Palawan in April 2022.

Persons: David Ucko, David Devich, Ucko, US Army John F, Mario A, Ramirez, Jared N, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: Service, US Special Forces, US Army, Royal United Services Institute, China, Air Force, RAF Mildenhall, US Air Force, Tech, Westin Warburton, Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, State, Justice, Treasury, US Navy, Philippine Navy, US Marine Corps, Army Green Beret, Philippine National Police, Coast Guard, British SAS, Commonwealth, Group, SAS, Allies, Army Delta Force, Delta Force, US Army Rangers, US Army Green Berets, Psychological Operations, Boat Service, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, SOF, Afghanistan's Ghazni, British, Russia, North Carolina, Palawan, Ukraine, Taiwan, North Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, Johns

☆ US Special Operations Command is working on a new mini-sub to carry SEALs to their targets in style
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Dry Combat Submersible would shield SEALs from the sea, unlike other delivery vehicles. US Navy/Chief Photographer's Mate Andrew McKaskleThe battery-powered Dry Combat Submersible is about 40 feet long and weighs a little over 28 tons. But perhaps the biggest difference is that the Dry Combat Submersible keeps frogmen dry, unlike the SEALs' other submersibles, which are open to the sea. US Navy/Chief Journalist Dave FliesenUS special-operations leaders have big ambitions for the Dry Combat Submersible and their other mini-subs. The Mark 11 is meant to carry small teams of Navy SEALs into an enemy harbors and shores without detection.

Persons: Lockheed Martin, SOCOM, Photographer's, Andrew McKaskle, Gregg Bauer, John Parker, Bauer, Dave Fliesen, Christopher Perez The, Mark, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: Operations Command, Lockheed, Service, US Navy SEALs, Special Operations Command, US Navy, Navy, DCS, Naval, Warfare Command, Navy SEALs, Warfare, Special Boat Service, US State Department, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russia, China, Ukraine, Philadelphia, Georgia, Naples, Italy, Sutton, Dallas, Norfolk, Pearl, Christopher Perez The British, British, Johns

☆ Another SEAL parachuting death highlights the inherent danger of US special operators' go-to infiltration method
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Deadly accidentsNaval Special Warfare operators perform a free-fall jump in Alaska in September. The incident, which likely happened during as part of a pre-deployment workup, is still under investigation, according to Naval Special Warfare Command. Despite that danger, however, free-fall parachuting is also extremely valuable as an insertion method for special-operations units. The Navy SEAL community — especially the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, formerly known as SEAL Team 6 — is well-versed in free-fall operations. Most US special-operations units have recognized the value of free-fall parachuting and have incorporated it into their training.

☆ Over KFC on 'Trump Force One,' Trump says that Ron DeSantis would be working at 'a law firm or maybe a Pizza Hut' without his initial support
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

After a campaign pit stop in Davenport, Iowa, Donald Trump took another dig at Ron DeSantis. Trump found a new way to diss the Florida Governor aboard his Boeing 757, "Trump Force One." Trump joked that DeSantis would be working at Pizza Hut without his initial backing, per Bloomberg. Schwartz, Schwartz, Schwartz, and Schwartz. "Remember, this Ron DeSanctimonious would be right now working probably at a law firm or maybe a Pizza Hut," Trump told reporters, according to the report.

☆ Ron DeSantis was invited to Ukraine to gain a 'deeper understanding' of the war after the Florida governor called Russia's full-scale invasion a 'territorial dispute'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis called Russia's year-long war in Ukraine a 'territorial dispute,' on Monday. On Tuesday, Ukraine's foreign ministry invited DeSantis to see the situation on the ground himself. Ron DeSantis to visit the war-torn country after DeSantis reduced Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbor to a "territorial dispute," earlier this week. DeSantis' comments came via a statement sent to Fox News on Monday where he said that Russia's war in Ukraine was not a "vital interest." The next day, Ukraine foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko pushed back against DeSantis' comments and extended an offer, per the BBC.

☆ Here's what happens when US Navy special operators go up against dolphins trained to keep them out of sensitive bases
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The US Navy has been training dolphins and sea lions to detect undersea threats since the 1960s. "Those mammals were very real and very scary," a former US Navy SEAL officer told Insider. The program tested out a number of animals but found dolphins and sea lions to be the best suited for the mission. The US military wasn't the only one using dolphins and sea lions to protect its warships and ports. BUD/S course instructors "have a sadistic tendency to scare the shit out of students before open-water swims," the former Navy SEAL officer said.

☆ How US Navy SEALs train new special-operations units to make the seas into 'our playground'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US Navy SEALs travel around the world to train with other countries' special-operations forces. In 2022, SEALs in Europe trained with Croatia's ZSS, a relatively new special-operations unit. Through these training deployments, US Navy SEALs help new special-operations units to become proficient in new missions and skill sets. When it comes to progression of training, SEALs use the same "crawl, walk, run" approach they employ in their own training. These relationships with foreign special-operations units give US special operators access to almost any region of the world.

☆ Taiwan's 'SEALs' would be on the frontline of a war with China. Here's how they'd try to hold off an invasion.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Taiwan's special-ops units, like the 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion, would be on the frontline. Taiwan's special-operations units, especially the 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion — the country's version of the US Navy SEALs — would be on the frontlines of that fight. Although a maritime unit with an intense focus on littoral and maritime special operations, the 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion is part of the Taiwanese army. Like many of the world's special-operations units, the 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion was stood up with help from US commandos. Members of the 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion during a demonstration in September 2016.

☆ With tension rising in the Pacific, US special operators have a new goal: Creating 'multiple dilemmas' for China
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

US special operators are aiming to create "multiple dilemmas" for China, SOCOM's commander says. Multiple dilemmasUS Navy SEALs, Philippine Navy special operators, and Australian special-operations soldiers during an exercise in Palawan in April. 1st Class Jared N. GehmannUS special operators need to continue "developing and strengthening the partner and ally piece that's a comparative and competitive advantage for this nation," Fenton said. Moreover, US special operators have been working closely with all US military branches to better understand how those branches operate and how SOCOM can support them in a conflict with China. The Pentagon's top special-operations official said in May 2021 that special operators could be "a key contributor" to resisting a Chinese attempt to seize Taiwan.

☆ Umar Patek: Bali bomber released on parole in Indonesia after serving half of 20-year sentence
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Jakarta, Indonesia CNN —Indonesia has released on parole Umar Patek, a bomb maker in the deadly 2002 Bali attacks, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights said on Wednesday. After his release on Wednesday, Patek is required to join a “mentoring program” until April 2030, according to the ministry statement. In August, Indonesia’s government said that Patek was eligible for parole after his sentence was reduced, a decision that sparked criticism from the victims’ families. “I think this going to be a very difficult day for many Australians – all Australians – to hear about the release of Umar Patek,” Marles told ABC radio. Three of the masterminds of the Bali bombings – Imam Samudra, Amrozi bin Nurhasyim and Ali Ghufron – were executed in 2008.

☆ Afghan commandos that were trained by US Navy SEALs are being recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elite Afghan commandos are being contacted with offers to fight for Russia in Ukraine, reports Foreign Policy. One Afghan official said he believed Russia's mercenary Wagner Group is behind the recruitment drive. One former Afghan commando officer told Foreign Policy that he believed the shadowy Wagner Group was behind the recruitment drive. The Afghan Elite National Army Commando Corps, made up of 20,000 to 30,000 volunteers, was partly trained by US Navy SEALs and the British Special Air Service, per Foreign Policy. A former senior Afghan security official, speaking anonymously to Foreign Policy, said that the Afghan fighters "would be a game-changer" in the war.

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