ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Saturday denied reports their forces were fighting in Ukraine, saying they are not concerned with issues outside Syria.
“Some media outlets have published fabricated and biased news about the alleged participation of our SDF fighters in the ongoing war in Ukraine,” Farhad Shami, head of the SDF’s media center, said on Twitter.
“We emphasize that these news reports are false and have no basis in reality, and they are disseminated by entities known for their unreliable sources,” he added.
Shami said that fighting in someone else’s war does not align with SDF’s “patriotic priorities” and struggle within Syrian territories.
“Our forces are not concerned with issues outside Syria,” he said.
On Friday, a Russian news outlet reported that the United States transported around 650 SDF fighters to Ukraine through the Kurdistan Region over the past six months. The report also claimed that SDF has opened training centers in Deir ez-Zor and Hasaka to prepare fighters before deploying them to Ukraine.
Statement | Our Forces Are Not Concerned With Issues Outside Syria
— Farhad Shami (@farhad_shami) July 8, 2023
Some media outlets have published fabricated and biased news about the alleged participation of our SDF fighters in the ongoing war in Ukraine. We emphasize that these news reports are false and have no basis in…
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, both US and NATO allies have sent military aid to Kyiv. On Friday, the Pentagon announced an additional $800 million security assistance package for Ukraine, including controversial Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions (DPICM), also known as cluster munitions.
The SDF is a Kurdish-led armed force that was established during Syria’s civil conflict. It is the US-led global coalition’s main ally in the fight against Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Syria.
