Elite Aussie special forces veterans are training Russians to fight in Ukraine, bombshell new intelligence claims.An assessment for the Five Eyes intelligence agencies found, with “strong confidence”, that Australian, British and US veterans had been enlisted to train Russian citizens and military personnel, according to The UK Telegraph, which says it was shown a copy of the damning memo.Obsessed with world news? Download our new app and never miss a headlineThe company at the centre of the allegations, Alfa-Metal, strongly denied ever employing active or former UK or Australian special forces personnel to train Russian individuals or forces.It also strongly rejected assertions that the company was involved in training Russian nationals, active-duty military, or Private Military Contractors (PMCs) following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.Meanwhile, several British SAS officers disputed claims that veterans from the elite regiment had been used, saying such actions would be a betrayal of their values.The controversial report was written purportedly by the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) and based on interviews with two former Aussie special ops personnel and an active-duty reservist who claimed they were approached to become instructors at training camps in Bulgaria and Serbia.These camps are said to have welcomed Russian clientele.Military training company Alfa-Metal is said to run one such camp in northern Bulgaria. According to the intelligence memo, the company hired instructors from Britain’s elite SAS, the Australian Commando Regiment, US police forces and the US Navy Seals.Alfa-Metal firmly rejects the accusations.The company offers a number of courses from special forces training to advanced sniper courses and combined drone training, according to its website. These courses cost up to $9,000 per person and run for days to weeks.The intelligence memo said that since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, private training camps in Europe continued to accept Russian citizens for training courses, including “advanced close quarters combat”.The special forces personnel interviewed by ASIS said Russian nationals could attend courses at the camp as of 2025.The former Australian military staff were interviewed by an intermediary, who has not been named by The UK Telegraph for security reasons.Alfa-Metal website includes a photograph of Australia’s Special Air Services Regiment logo on a promotional page. It is claimed the company also posted an ad for SAS veterans to work at the centre on LinkedIn. News.com.au attempted to find the advert but had no success.The company boasts having eight instructors, two of which appear to be American. The rest appear to be Eastern European.One US instructor claims to have spent 12 years in the US Army’s Special Operations Command. The other claims to be a police officer who served in the US Coast Guard and the United Nations Police in Kosovo.The company appears to be connected to Alfa Region, a Russian security company based in St Petersburg.Alfa-Metal has strongly denied the accusations. It said it has not provided training services “whatsoever” to Russian nationals, Russian corporate entities, or associated organisations since 2020 and said claims of the contrary were “entirely false”.Alfa-Metal said it conducts its training activities transparently and in accordance with the applicable European and international legal and regulatory framework, under the relevant institutional oversight of the competent state authorities.In its response to The UK Telegraph, the centre also denied any link to Alfa Region and attributed the claim to confusion over “similarity between the names of independent legal entities.”When The Telegraph highlighted a page on Alfa-Metal’s website that referred to a “partnership agreement” with Alfa Region, the spokesman confirmed the centre had “historical professional contacts” with the company and had “initiated a review of archived marketing materials” to correct “outdated content”.It’s understood ASIS is now investigating the matter.Under UK and Australian law, it is illegal for former special forces staff to use their training to assist a foreign state.The UK Telegraph has been unable to verify the claims made by the memo independently.A spokesperson for the Australian Department of Defence said in 2024 that the government passed amendments to the Defence Act 1903 requiring individuals to assess their need for a foreign work authorisation before working for, or training a foreign military organisation or government body.“Australian Defence Force personnel, including former members, remain subject to these amendments, the Safeguarding Australia’s Military Secrets (SAMS) legislation and Defence service obligations.”Alfa-Metal has requested its statement be shared in full. They wrote: “We are aware of the recent article published by The Telegraph based on an unverified, leaked statement. We categorically stand by our previous statements and firmly reject all assertions that Alfa-Metal International has been involved in training Russian nationals, active-duty military, or PMC personnel following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.“For complete clarity, please note our official position: 1) No Training of Russian Citizens: Alfa-Metal has provided no training services whatsoever to Russian nationals, Russian corporate entities, or associated organisations since 2020. Any claims suggesting that Russian personnel received training at our facility in recent years— including after February 2022—are entirely false.“2) Western Special Forces Personnel: Alfa-Metal has never employed active or former personnel from the UK Special Air Service (SAS) or Australian Commando Regiments as instructors to train Russian individuals or forces.“3) Regulatory Compliance: Alfa-Metal conducts its training activities transparently and in accordance with the applicable European and international legal and regulatory framework, under the relevant institutional oversight of the competent state authorities. “We consider these ongoing allegations to be factually incorrect and deeply damaging to our institutional reputation.”