Russia recruiting US-trained Afghan commandos for Ukraine war, vets say

Afghan special forces soldiers who fought alongside American troops and n fled to Iran after chaotic U.S. withdrawal last year are w being recruited by Russian military to fight in Ukraine, three former Afghan generals told Associated Press.

y said Russians want to attract thousands of former elite Afghan commandos into a “foreign legion” with offers of stey, $1,500-a-month payments and promises of safe havens for mselves and ir families so y can avoid deportation home to what many assume would be death at hands of Taliban.

“y don’t want to go fight — but y have choice,” said one of generals, Abdul Raof Arghandiwal, ding that dozen or so commandos in Iran with whom he has texted fear deportation most. “y ask me, ‘Give me a solution? What should we do? If we go back to Afghanistan, Taliban will kill us.’”

Arghandiwal said recruiting is led by Russian mercenary force Wagner Group. Ar general, Hibatullah Alizai, last Afghan army chief before Taliban took over, said effort is also being helped by a former Afghan special forces commander who lived in Russia and speaks langu.

Russian recruitment follows months of warnings from U.S. soldiers who fought with Afghan special forces that Taliban was intent on killing m and that y might join with U.S. enemies to stay alive or out of anger with ir former ally.

A GOP congressional report in August specifically warned of danger that Afghan commandos — trained by U.S. Navy SEALs and Army Green Berets — could end up giving up information about U.S. tactics to Islamic State group, Iran or Russia — or fight for m.

“We didn’t get se individuals out as we promised, and w it’s coming home to roost,” said Michael Mulroy, a retired CIA officer who served in Afghanistan, ding that Afghan commandos are highly skilled, fierce fighters. “I don’t want to see m in any battlefield, frankly, but certainly t fighting Ukrainians.”

Mulroy was skeptical, however, that Russians would be able to persue many Afghan commandos to join because most he knew were driven by desire to make democracy work in ir country rar than being guns for hire.

AP was investigating Afghan recruiting when details of effort were first reported by Foreign Policy magazine last week based on unnamed Afghan military and security sources. recruitment comes as Russian forces reel from Ukrainian military vances and Russian President Vlimir Putin pursues a sputtering mobilization effort, which has prompted nearly 200,000 Russian men to flee country to escape service.

Russia's Defense Ministry did t respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for Yevgeny Prigozhin, who recently ackwledged being founder of Wagner Group, dismissed idea of an ongoing effort to recruit former Afghan soldiers as “crazy nsense.”

U.S. Defense Department also didn’t reply to a request for comment, but a senior official suggested recruiting is t surprising given that Wagner has been trying to sign up soldiers in several or countries.

It’s unclear how many Afghan special forces members who fled to Iran have been courted by Russians, but one told AP he is communicating through WhatsApp chat service with about 400 or commandos who are considering offers.

He said many like him fear deportation and are angry at U.S. for abandoning m.

“We thought y might create a special program for us, but one even thought about us,” said former commando, who requested anymity because he fears for himself and his family. “y just left us all in hands of Taliban.”

commando said his offer included Russian visas for himself as well as his three children and wife who are still in Afghanistan. Ors have been offered extensions of ir visas in Iran. He said he is waiting to see what ors in WhatsApp groups decide but thinks many will take deal.

U.S. veterans who fought with Afghan special forces have described to AP nearly a dozen cases, ne confirmed independently, of Taliban going house to house looking for commandos still in country, torturing or killing m, or doing same to family members if y are where to be found.

Human Rights Watch has said more than 100 former Afghan soldiers, intelligence officers and police were killed or forcibly “disappeared” just three months after Taliban took over despite promises of amnesty. United Nations in a report in mid-October documented 160 extrajudicial killings and 178 arrests of former government and military officials.

bror of an Afghan commando in Iran who has accepted Russian offer said Taliban threats make it difficult to refuse. He said his bror h to hide for three months after fall of Kabul, shuttling between relatives’ houses while Taliban searched his home.

“My bror h or choice or than accepting offer,” said commando’s bror, Mur, who would only give his first name because of fear Taliban might track him down. “This was t an easy decision for him.”

Former Afghan army chief Alizai said much of Russian recruiting effort is focused on Tehran and Mashh, a city near Afghan border where many have fled. ne of generals who spoke to AP, including a third, Abdul Jabar Wafa, said ir contacts in Iran kw how many have taken up offer.

“You get military training in Russia for two months, and n you go to battle lines,” re one text mess a former Afghan soldier in Iran sent to Arghandiwal. “A number of personnel have gone, but y have lost contact with ir families and friends altoger. exact statistics are unclear.”

An estimated 20,000 to 30,000 Afghan special forces fought with Americans during two-dece war, and only a few hundred senior officers were airlifted out when U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan. Since many of Afghan commandos did t work directly for U.S. military, y were t eligible for special U.S. visas.

“y were ones who fought to really last minute. And y never, never, never talked to Taliban. y never negotiated,” Alizai said. “Leaving m behind is biggest mistake.”