Ukrainian Drones and Operators Allegedly Aided Syrian Opposition in Assad’s Overthrow

According to The Washington Post, citing informed sources, Ukrainian intelligence provided drones and operators to the Syrian opposition group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which on December 8 toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime after seizing control of the capital Damascus.

WP reported that Ukrainian intelligence deployed approximately 20 skilled drone operators and around 150 FPV drones to the rebel headquarters in Idlib, Syria, about four to five weeks ago to support HTS.

Western intelligence sources believe that Kyiv’s assistance played only a minor role in the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. However, it stands out as part of a broader Ukrainian strategy to discreetly undermine Russian operations in the Middle East, Africa, and within Russia itself.

The publication notes that Ukraine’s motivation is clear: confronted with Russia’s aggression at home, Ukrainian intelligence has sought other fronts to weaken Russia and destabilize its allies.

In a June 3 article, the Kyiv Post quoted a source from Ukraine’s military intelligence service, HUR, stating that “since the beginning of the year, the [Syrian] rebels, supported by Ukrainian operatives, have inflicted numerous strikes on Russian military facilities represented in the region.”

Earlier, Syrian opposition forces reportedly seized full control of Latakia and Tartus provinces, which host Russian military bases. The loss of military bases in Syria could pose a serious threat to Russia’s operational capabilities in Africa. It would weaken Moscow's position in Libya and sub-Saharan Africa while undermining its influence over authoritarian regimes across the continent.