Russian unit accused over ‘bounties’ to kill US troops

THE Russian military has been accused of offering bounties to Taliban-linked gunmen to kill British and US soldiers in Afghanistan.

Bounties were said to have been offered by Unit 29155 of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency, the same unit blamed for the nerve agent attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in

Salisbury in 2018. US intelligence officials have briefed Donald Trump on the development and the British Government was alerted this week, The New

York Times reported.

The alleged escalation by Russia first emerged in March and the US has not yet responded, although sanctions were reportedly under consideration.

The UK ceased combat operations in Afghanistan in 2014 but still has 1,000 troops in the country, working with Af

ghan forces and providing force protection for Nato.

Last year, 20 Americans were killed in combat in Afghanistan. Another four died this year. US troops have been moving around less recently due to coronavirus. It was not clear which US deaths were under suspicion of being linked to Russian bounties.

Islamist militants, or armed criminal elements closely associated with them, were believed to have collected some

bounty money, according to The New York Times.

Russia’s alleged encouragement of the targeting of US and coalition troops appeared to have been aimed at keeping America bogged down, prolonging its longest war as Mr Trump tried to withdraw. The latest intelligence of escalated Russian involvement reportedly originated from interrogations of captured Afghans.

White House officials, the CIA and

the Pentagon declined to comment on the reports of bounties. The UK Foreign Office also declined to comment.

Russia’s foreign ministry called the allegations “nonsense”.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said: “We categorically reject the notion of ever planning or carrying out targeted attacks against US or foreign forces at the behest of foreign intelligence or for the sake of collecting bounty.”