Pro-Kremlin resources are spreading information that unnamed representatives of Ukraine met with members of the jihadist group Ghayat Tahrir al-Sham in the Syrian city of Idlib in mid-June 2024. The Ukrainian authorities allegedly wanted to exchange “Chechens, Turkmens and Georgians” who participated in the war in Syria, who are being held by Ghayat Tahrir al-Sham, for 75 UAVs. It seems unlikely that this will happen, given that these drones are being used against Russians in Syria. Among those who was allegedly supposed to be exchanged was, in particular, the so-called “Minister of Defense” of ISIS, Abu Umar al-Shishani.

However, this information is not true, Ukrinform reports. Ukraine does not negotiate with terrorist organizations. In addition, it is impossible to exchange Abu Umar al-Shishani for drones or anything else, because he died in 2016 in Iraq during the fighting around the city of Mosul.

Russian sources also refer to the Turkish-language publication Aydınlık, which is pro-Russian and has repeatedly published fakes about Ukraine. The publication belongs to the Vatan political party, which promotes an anti-Western and pro-Russian agenda. It is the only political force in Turkey calling for recognition of the Russian occupation of Crimea and Abkhazia.

It is worth noting that Ukraine does not have any diplomatic missions in Syria, since it severed all relations with this country on June 30, 2022.

With this fake, the Kremlin once again seeks to baselessly accuse Ukraine of “supporting international terrorism”. Propagandists also use this fake as evidence of the so-called “Ukrainian trace” in terrorist attacks taking place in Russia itself.