Ukraine helped Syrian militants master drone warfare – French intelligence services

According to French special services, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry (known as GUR) had been working hard since late summer to provide HTS-led Syrian militants with FPV drone warfare technology and experience.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Azerelia, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Ukrainian Shark drone

According to them, the GUR supplied several batches of 3D printers, sketches for printing drone frames and ammunition release mechanisms, DJI Mavic 3T copters and, above all, large stocks of electronic components used in the production of FPV drones.

This logistical assistance was complemented by the deployment of about 40 drone operators from the North Caucasus. The operators arrived as part of the GUR International Legion that took part in battles against Russian troops in the Donbas. Having such support from Kyiv, Syrian militants could sow panic among mechanized units of the Syrian army.

The operation to transfer the technology to Syrian militants was conducted in the summer of 2024. According to French intelligence services, the GUR of Ukraine recruited a group of militants from the Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion. The 500-strong unit has been fighting Russian forces since 2022.

GUR's operators from Chechnya also conducted numerous theoretical and practical training seminars for the production and use of FPV drones on the battlefield. They also supervised the expansion of underground FPV drone production facilities in Syria for a few months.

The Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion also provided Syrian militants with a large amount of knowledge on the production of explosives suitable for use on powerful combat drones against armoured targets. The GUR also supplied the militants with several heavy-duty Mavic 350 RTK drones made by Chinese company DJI. Such UAVs can be used for the delivery of heavier bombs. They can also be used as signal repeaters to increase the range of FPV drones.

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The Dzhokhar Dudayev Chechen Peacekeeping Battalion is a Chechen volunteer battalion named after the first President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Dzhokhar Dudayev. The battalion is made up of Chechen volunteers, many of whom fought in the First Chechen War and Second Chechen War on the side of the Republic of Ichkeria, Ingush, Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians. The battalion has been under the command of Adam Osmayev since 1 February 2015, after Isa Munayev was killed in action at the Battle of Debaltseve in Eastern Ukraine. The Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion is one of several Chechen armed formations on the side of Ukraine.