'US building secret bases in Afghanistan to attack Russia'

London, July 11 (ANI): The United States is building secret bases in Afghanistan from which they intend to attack Russia, said Kremlin officials.

According to the Daily Express, the claim has emerged in the wake of the most elaborate spy swap since the Cold War, which saw 10 Moscow-controlled sleeper agents traded for four Russians spying for the West.

Russia's latest claims emerged four days ago, as the arrest of the spies by the FBI was revealed to the world.

"As part of Barbarossa 3, the US Government is building 13 secret bases in Afghanistan as part of a forward push towards the eventual war against Russia because that war is simply unavoidable," investigative journalist Daniel Estulin said.

Operation Barbarossa was the codename given to Adolf Hitler's failed attempt to conquer Russia in 1941.

"Putin proved to be an apt negotiator and he has out negotiated both the Americans and the Europeans, but what we are seeing right now, in geopolitical terms, is that they're still at it," he added.

Dr Jonathan Eyal, Director of International Security Studies with the Royal United Services Institute has said that notions like this were further examples of Russian paranoia.

"Russia has always had an inferiority complex, even under Tsar Nicholas ll. It's been 20 years since the demise of the Soviet Union and the country is as insular as it ever was," he said.

"This entire episode has been an embarrassment for Russia. Not only did they receive no real intelligence from these so-called spies, but Russia has so few assets that it was forced to hand over quite important assets to secure their return," Dr Eyal added. (ANI)