How Russian mercenaries fight in Syria. How and why Russian mercenaries could have died in Syria

Trapped in Syria by ISIS militants (banned in the Russian Federation), almost all major media have finally started talking about Russians fighting for money in private military companies.

Who are these people - ruthless mercenaries or romantic combatants? Those who returned about the details of their service "there" are not extended. They say it is forbidden by the contract. Non-Disclosure Subscription. But we managed to contact the person who is now on the front line.

Among themselves, they call Syria a "sandbox". Because the sand. Lots of sand. And the heat plus fifty. They know: if something happens, no one will save. And their bones will forever rot under this burning sun around everything, and the jackals will do the rest. The contract stipulates: non-return of cargo-200 home. Too expensive.

Instead of a ringing tone, Sergey's phone has a funny melody:

“Our armored personnel carrier is all crumpled, but quite so on the move, it beats the damned ISIS men, knocks out the spirit of the bastards. Behind the plain there are mountains at once, a pass through the mountains, and Palmyra stands behind it, I have been her all my life ...

The ending is quite in the style of Cord, so I will not give it here.

Sergei is a little over thirty, he is a former lawyer from Donetsk, but he has not worked in his specialty for four years - because of the war. First, the one in Ukraine. Then here - in Syria. War without rules. So he is unlikely to need beautiful legal terms: in battle, they will not save.

“The deed is done, we only have a few hours to get ready, we helped break the shackles of the Syrian falcons. Let the tourists come - Damascus, Palmyra, it doesn't matter. Money, women and wine await us at home ”- the bad boys in the homemade songs of the current“ fortune hunters ”try to seem even worse than they are.

I ask Sergey to let me listen to other hits of this Syrian war - he tosses me through the messenger a covered "Cuckoo" by Viktor Tsoi. The chorus is almost unchanged. "My palm turned into a fist ..."

I can imagine how Sergei might look in real life: short, wiry, in shabby green camouflage, an unhealed callus on the index finger of his right hand - from the trigger. And there is a bruise on his shoulder too - from a machine gun. Here are just no awards for mercenaries.

We are not given awards. These are the Cossacks - titles, orders, they love this. And they don't know how to fight. The guys ask one newbie: "Do you even understand where you got to?" He mows straight into the face of the fool: "What's wrong - I saw an Islamist car and throw a grenade at it." Damn, but I saw a car - tick away from it quickly. She carries a ton of explosives on herself.

- Jihad mobile?

There are two types of them. Jihad mobile and inghimasi are such suicide squads that first fight like ordinary soldiers, and when they run out of ammunition, they activate the suicide belt. They explode, dying and taking everyone close to them. Well this is Hiroshima and Nagasaki, how much TNT is hung on them! Their task, these crazy fanatics, is to die on the battlefield. They are going for this.

At the checkpoint on the road to Damascus.

- And yours?

Our purpose of the trip is to make money. Without patriotism. True, the Cossacks come up with some beautiful fairy tales for themselves - for example, that they go to study Orthodoxy in extreme conditions, while Syria is the cradle of Christianity, but this is also an excuse. Mostly people go to earn money. It's just that not everyone admits this openly and honestly. This is normal. We also went to earn money, not kill. We, as recruiters, were told: you will protect communications, checkpoints, oil rigs, refurbish factories, and arrived at the site - both-na! - and in the assault battalion.

- Did you sign a contract?

If you can call it that. Let's just say: I signed an agreement. There is a list of what we must do, there are responsibilities, but no rights. If you break any point, for example, you drink on the front line, then you get paid. The unit is fined completely. Although they drink a little - in such heat. But vodka in Syria is good.

- Where do recruiters find their potential "clients"?

Recruiters have been working in Donbass since 1914. But in the early years, few left. Firstly, no one knew about Syria, and secondly, the DPR fought for an idea, for the salvation of the Russian world. It was then vulgarized by all. Now it is not clear whether there is peace or war. Many Russian volunteers returned home. The militias dispersed too. And what we know how - nothing but how to fight. If you serve in Donetsk now, you get 15 thousand rubles. Here I was offered 150 thousand a month, plus combat, plus an exit, and so on. I have a wife on maternity leave, two weather children, a son and a daughter, old parents. I won't earn that much in a year. Even if you imagine that they will cheat and pay less, it is still better than nothing.

- Are they often deceived?

Who will behave how. In general, there are two large private military companies on the market today - the PMC "Wagner" by Dmitry Utkin and the PMC "Turan", a Muslim battalion. The very first was the "Slavic Corps", but now it is no longer there. There are also subcontractors, intermediaries who also recruit people. They have nothing to do with the official Russian military structures. How legitimate they are is also none of my business; in my opinion, they are formalized through the leftist states, where they are registered and licensed - in South Africa, for example. I know that there were such organizations who offered 240 thousand rubles a month, but in reality they all get about the same - 150.

I won't say that they threw someone so hard: we have word of mouth, today they throw it - tomorrow no one will go. We are all the same in this circle, everyone knows everyone, in principle. When I was in the camp, where I was being trained, they paid additionally 2-3 thousand daily allowances, for a month you can also raise a piece of bucks.

A shop next to the mercenary checkpoint.

- And generally not to go anywhere?

Personally, I did not know such. But the preparation is so-so, to be honest. A shooting range, a training ground, a training and material part ... Among other things, they talk about the traditions of the Syrian people, such as not to accidentally break them ... Personally, I was helped by the knowledge of how to survive in the desert: there are also a lot of creeping reptiles, so you take four a peg, you drive it into the sand, you tie them with a woolen square thread - not a single scorpion can get through this woolen thread. They feel them and are afraid for some reason.

- How did you get to Syria - on a military plane? Civilians?

Charter. To Latakia. We had a legend that we were peaceful builders, or something. There the sea, warm, good, but they did not let go for a walk separately. Although many ran off to swim a couple of times.

- Disobeyed the order?

But what kind of order is there ... You still have no idea who goes there for the most part. The Ministry of Defense will not sign a contract with a person with a tarnished biography. And we also had previous convictions, and those who did not find work at home, knocked about without money, former volunteers who came to the military training camp in Rostov, militias, even ethnic Ukrainians were, including those who fought against Donbass. Sometimes you see such a person in front of you - and you just go nuts.

- Nothing sacred? ..

Not at all. It's okay. It's amazing how life can turn out. When the very first fighters were sent there, there was a strict selection, they say, even a competition. Now they take everyone. Personally, I saw an amputee, a man without an arm, he is a machine gunner by profession. How will he be able to shoot? .. It seems to me that lately recruiters are paid for the number of recruits, and not for the quality. Therefore, there are so many stupid losses.

Those Cossacks who were executed by the ISIS were from the May group. 150 people then arrived - in the very first battle they received 19 "cargo-200" ... Just the numbers are hidden, the media leaks a minimum of information about what is happening. Those who were the last to arrive, they had such training, which is immediately clear: the suicide bombers arrived.

- How much are the relatives of the dead and wounded paid? Is it in the contract?

Three million - for the deceased, 900 thousand - for injury. But in reality, we have such insurance that if they are injured, and you are not wearing a bulletproof vest or a helmet, then they may not pay anything. And the armor with equipment weighs 18 kg. Who will carry him in such heat ?! They are also fined for this. But the relatives of those two whose heads were cut off will be sure to make all the payments due, because the press made a fuss.

Checkpoint.

- They are heroes! ISIS did not swear allegiance (banned in Russia - E.K.) ...

Don't make me swear. They lost heart. Because normal guys would not have surrendered alive.

- What a nightmare - with this cutting off heads!

Ours are also cut off. And what, who was killed in the desert on himself to drag everything? For one head of the ISIS, at first they paid 5,000 rubles. The guys dragged a whole bunch of them ... Therefore, they dropped the price - you need to stop nightmare the local population - recently they paid like a thousand. I’m definitely not interested, because I don’t do it myself.

- And they were definitely Islamist fanatics, and not civilians?

I'm telling you exactly. Syria is now divided into zones. Pink - Damascus, Latakia and surroundings. You can't touch anyone there. There is also a gray zone - back and forth, and the most terrible - black, where we stand. There are no peaceful people there. All enemies.

I don’t understand why it’s impossible to carry out air strikes on these countless Ishilov villages without using the infantry, since such crazy human losses?

This is very understandable. The use of infantry, soldiers, is much cheaper than aviation. It has always been that way. Soldiers are meat.

In ancient times, the armies of all countries had rules: for the first three days, a city captured by troops was given to the victors. Is there such a thing now?

I guess, yes. Everything that you find in the liberated villages is yours. Only money is required. These fanatics have their own - gold dinars, silver dirhams, copper falsifications ... Although they are made of pure gold, you cannot take them with you. They bear the symbols of ISIS - "Islamic State" (prohibited in Russia), their storage and distribution is equivalent to a criminal offense and support for terrorism. Who needs such a headache? ..

What about after the fight? How are you resting? You are not an official army - that means that concerts of famous guest performers from Moscow are not allowed for you? ..

Yes, it can be boring. But you can buy a wife. A virgin from a good family costs 100 bucks. For a year. Kalym type. If you take it forever, then it is $ 1,500-2,000. It's easier to buy there than to search here. I know guys who corrected documents for such brides and took them with them to Russia. In general, women help a lot in war - at least by brightening up our life. But basically only officers can afford them.

Liberated Aleppo.

- Is the food good?

They are fed like slaughter. But the water is tense. There is technical and drinking. But you can't drink technical. And drinking is not enough.

- With weapons like?

Here's a real trouble with weapons. The equipment is old, worn out, shaggy years ... They also give out Chinese machines. It is clear that people throw off and buy weapons themselves - they want to live, and since cash is not very good, many spend so-called cigarette money on this: about $ 100-200 a month.

- Is the salary transferred to the card?

As you want. Usually on a card to your wife or whomever you say, yes.

- After death, a nondisclosure subscription also applies to relatives?

In fact yes. They are warned that it is better not to exaggerate this topic if they want to be paid for everything. In the end, the man went there voluntarily, no one forced him. It is clear that no one will drag his corpse back to his homeland, because it is expensive, and there is no particular sense. But three million, which will be given for the murdered, will earn alive in two years only ...

- Do you consider yourself a mercenary?

No. I was put in such conditions. In the Donbass in the ranks from the very beginning of hostilities and almost to the very end. I had convictions. And I personally know those who would never agree to die for money - only for the Motherland and the idea. But gradually nothing remained of the ideas, and the war turned into business as usual. Ordinary people have to adapt too. But I did not betray myself.

- And who was betrayed?

There was a case. Our guys caught fire alive. It happened. And they burned for a long time. It was scary to watch them suffer. It was necessary to shoot them, and it would be merciful, but I could not ... Perhaps this can be considered a betrayal.

- Do you believe in God?

I do not know. Probably I believe in something. The good, the bad. I do not know. All I know is that killing is not good. And I do not like it.

Christian cross and a soldier's medallion on the chest of a mercenary killed by militants.

Simple accounting

One of the leaders of a private military company gave us a comment on condition of anonymity.

“I believe that in essence there is no criminal offense here. Yes, there is an article over all PMC members - participation in illegal armed formations, or even the leadership of illegal armed groups, up to 20 years in prison, but let's think about the fact that now a new type of war is waged all over the world. Let us recall the experience of the same Americans, all their operations in Iraq or Afghanistan are mainly carried out by PMCs. The French Foreign Legion is generally supported by the government. So it's silly to pretend to be naive young ladies and say that we shouldn't have this, because it's bad.

This is a business. We will not capture the market, others will come to our place. But while Russian PMCs are beginning to gradually squeeze the Western ones: because ours are undemanding and take on everything, yes, they are deceived. But deception is also a life experience.

At the rate we get about $ 5,000 per person per month. According to the contract, you pay 2000 plus 500 for related expenses. There remains a net profit of 2500 times the number of fighters.

1000 people for 2.5 thousand dollars is 2.5 million dollars a month.

In my personal feeling, those people who come to us, no matter what they say, remain romantics at heart. And in the event of an invasion, they will certainly go to defend their homeland. In the meantime, let them gain combat experience. I believe that Russia has one more export item - in addition to oil and gas, former professionals who have retired, have retired, but have high knowledge and skills. "

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption In Syria, fighters of Russian private military companies are diplomatically called consultants

For several days now, reports have been coming from Syria about the possible defeat of a detachment of Russians from the so-called private military company (PMC) Wagner. At the same time, the Kremlin does not confirm this information, and when asked by a journalist whether Russia plans to declare mourning, they answered that they did not understand why to declare it.

The Russian service of the BBC tried to figure out whether the Russians were really killed in Syria after the American strike on February 7, for whom they worked and what they were doing in the zone of the American military presence.

What happened on February 7?

According to the most widespread version, on February 7, 2018, a detachment, which could include Russians, tried to occupy an area in the province of Deir ez-Zor near the Euphrates. The area is controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed rebel group.

The head of the United States Air Force Central Command, Lieutenant General Jeffrey Harrigian, gave a press conference at the Pentagon on February 13, during which he detailed the American version of what happened that day.

According to the general, on the evening of February 7, an international coalition led by the United States defended itself, and American military advisers helped the Syrian rebels fight off "an unprovoked and coordinated attack on their positions over the Euphrates River."

The general said that before the attack, the enemy conducted artillery preparation, which involved tanks, mortars, rocket and cannon artillery. Under the cover of this shelling, forces about a battalion in size moved into the position.

At the time, Harrigian said, aircraft were in the air, including MQ-9 drones and F-22 fighters, which were performing reconnaissance and patrol functions.

According to the general, the Americans immediately contacted representatives of the Russian command in Syria and told them about the attack. He did not disclose the details of the negotiations, as well as their results and the reaction of the Russian military, noting only that operational negotiations with the Russian grouping are ongoing.

After this conversation, the general continued, the coalition launched a strike on the attackers, which involved F-15E fighters, MQ-9 drones, B-52 strategic bombers, AC-130 heavy attack aircraft and AH-64 Apache attack helicopters.

The general called the air strikes pinpoint, and said that as a result, several artillery systems and tanks were destroyed. After that, Jeffrey Harrigian said, the attackers retreated. He said he did not know who was in the attacking group and whether there were Russian citizens there.

In turn, various Russian and foreign publications claim that the Russians were there and that from 11 to several hundred died.

How is Russia reacting?

The Kremlin refuses to comment on this incident - formally, the fighters of private military companies are not under the control of the Russian authorities, including the Russian Ministry of Defense. The latter, however, stated that 25 Syrians were injured as a result of the raid, but no Russians were injured.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, no one attacked the US-backed rebels: the Syrian militias covered by the American strike allegedly carried out an operation against the "sleeping cell" of the Islamic State extremist group, whose activities are prohibited in Russia and other countries.

At the same time, the department stressed that the militias, who came under attack from the coalition, did not coordinate their operation with the command of the Russian task force.

"I did not understand the essence, in connection with which mourning should be declared?" - The press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov, in turn, answered the journalists when asked if the Russian authorities plan to honor the memory of the Russians who were allegedly killed in Syria.

Did the Russians really die?

The Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT) has released the names of seven alleged Russian PMC Wagner fighters who, according to it, died in the February 7 airstrike.

According to the data found on the network, these are Alexey Ladygin from Ryazan, Stanislav Matveev and Igor Kosoturov from Asbest in the Sverdlovsk Region, Ruslan Gavrilov from the village of Kedrovoe, Sverdlovsk Region, Vladimir Loginov from Kaliningrad, Alexey Shikhov from Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir with the call sign "Apostol" (surname unknown ) and Kirill Ananiev from Moscow.

The latter until 2009 was a member of the National Bolshevik Party, whose activities were banned in Russia by the court. His death in Syria Russian service BBC confirmed the co-chairman of the unregistered party "Other Russia" Alexander Averin.

The deaths of Vladimir Loginov and Igor Kosoturov were confirmed to the BBC Russian service by their close relatives. The death of Stanislav Matveyev was confirmed to RBC by his cousin Igor Patsko. The dates of the deaths of the Russians coincide with the date of the American strike.

The relatives of the rest of the Russians mentioned by CIT have not yet confirmed their death.

What were they doing there?

The head of the US Air Force Central Command Jeffrey Harrigan, speaking in Qatar, said that the attack on the positions of the Syrian Democratic Army and the US coalition on the evening of February 7 was initiated by "unknown hostile forces", and the return fire was dictated by self-defense tasks.

According to the Kommersant newspaper, the cause of the incident was an attempt by large businessmen supporting Bashar al-Assad's regime to seize the oil and gas fields of the Kurds - allies of the United States. To this end, pro-government tribal formations went on the offensive, and the so-called ISIS Hunters, reinforced by PMC Wagner fighters, marched in the second echelon. Both those and others were hit, an unnamed source told the publication.

The source of Moskovsky Komsomolets in Syria also claims that the Syrians allegedly decided, together with Russian mercenaries, to seize the plant from the Kurds in the area of \u200b\u200bthe American presence: “There were three companies of private traders and a Syrian militia. The first line of Kurds and Americans was demolished quite quickly, even too easily. Then aviation, drones and turntables flew in, and threshed them for four hours. "

The publication also cites another version: the allegedly shot column counterattacked the fighters of the Islamic State extremist organization, whose activities are prohibited in Russia and many other countries. The latter retreated towards the CONOCO refinery, where a secret US base could be located.

“I don’t understand what they were counting on,” said the source of Moskovsky Komsomolets. “With only Kalash, they attacked the Americans. But it was a purely commercial topic. It has nothing to do with the war.”

What is the meaning of PMCs?

"This [private military companies] is a tool for realizing national interests without the direct participation of the state," said Vladimir Putin in 2012, when he was offered to legalize PMCs. The Prime Minister then promised to think about this issue and, it seems, is still thinking.

"PMC Wagner" is an informal military organization that allegedly took part in hostilities in Donbass (on the side of the self-proclaimed republics) and in Syria (on the side of the Assad government). In the fall of 2015, the online newspaper Fontanka first spoke about the activities of this PMC.

According to the publication, a businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin may be behind the PMC. Companies close to him win contracts to service the Russian army. Presumably related to Prigozhin, the Euro Polis company allegedly entered into an agreement with the Bashar al-Assad regime, according to which it receives a quarter of the oil in the territory reclaimed from IS.

Image copyright AFP Image caption The civil war in Syria has continued since the spring of 2011

In 2017, Syrian Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources Ali Ghanem confirmed planned cooperation with Russia in the oil and gas sector, as well as a meeting with Russian oil companies operating in Syria.

Ghanem estimated the daily production in the territory controlled by the Syrian government at 8,000 barrels of oil and 9 million cubic meters of gas. For comparison: Russia annually produces over 10 million barrels of oil and over 600 billion cubic meters of gas.

How are PMCs related to the Russian state?

According to "Fontanka" and CIT, the employees of "PMC Wagner" have no relation to any official power structure of Russia, but for their combat work they received military orders and medals.

Former Wagner PMC fighter Nikolai S. told the Investigation Management Center that there is nothing private about this unit. "PMCs do not disembark from large landing ships along with equipment. This is a real army. The group strictly fulfills the tasks set by the Russian command. And journalists came up with the stupid name of the PMC. You might think we could be hired to guard a dacha or a yacht," the source said.

According to the Security Service of Ukraine, 95% of Wagner PMC members who fought on the territory of this country are Russian citizens. “As a rule, these are former special forces, GRUs, paratroopers,” said the head of the SBU Vasily Gritsak.

Image copyright MIKHAIL METZEL / TASS Image caption Evgeny Prigozhin

In 2016, the leaders of PMC Wagner allegedly attended a reception with President Vladimir Putin - a photo from the meeting. In the photo next to Putin is the alleged founder of this structure - Dmitry Valerievich Utkin (callsign Wagner), a reserve lieutenant colonel who previously served as the commander of the 700th separate special forces detachment in the 2nd special forces brigade in the Pskov region.

Why is everyone silent about PMCs?

Moscow denies that employees of Russian private military companies are fighting in Syria. According to official data from the Ministry of Defense, Russia's combat losses in the republic for the entire campaign period amounted to about 40 people. According to Reuters calculations, 131 Russian mercenaries were killed in Syria in 2017 alone (the agency notes that this figure does not include the military personnel).

In the absence of a law regulating the activities of PMCs, the only legal norm related to the participation of Russian volunteers in hostilities abroad is Article 359 of the Russian Criminal Code - "Mercenary". For two leaders of the "Slavic Corps" (the first incarnation of "PMC Wagner") Vadim Gusev and Yevgeny Sidorov, the trip to Syria ended with criminal cases and sentences with real terms.

At the end of 2014, the State Duma rejected the draft law "On private military security companies," introduced through the Duma Defense Committee by deputies Gorovtsov, Shein, Nosovko. However, on February 14, the Head of the State Duma Defense Committee Vladimir Shamanov announced a new bill on PMCs. According to him, the document is aimed at obtaining a response to the government.

Atlantico: In Moscow, the families of the mercenaries killed in the latest attack in Syria are demanding an explanation from the Kremlin. What is the nature of the ties between these mercenaries and the central government?

Alain Rodier: As a rule, mercenaries who work directly or indirectly for the state are never recognized by the latter. Bob Denard was one of the "corsairs of the Republic" that Paris used for some time on the African continent.

However, these mercenaries - they are called "contractors" - employees of PMCs are not completely controlled by the governments that finance their services. Indeed, PMCs have their own hierarchy, often decentralized. This leads to the fact that such companies can act on their own initiative, which can be disastrous.

The Americans learned this well in Iraq with the famous Blackwater firm founded by Erik D. Prince. His company indulged in numerous abuses, some of which, however, were condemned by justice. On the other hand, the information leaks confirmed Prince's involvement with the CIA as an accidental agent. Summing up, it is worth saying that all countries are using PMCs today.

However, it should be remembered that, in theory, mercenarism is prohibited by the UN, and anyone who wants to practice this trade should know that he can be prosecuted upon returning home, even if he defended a "just cause." In particular, volunteers from the UK who fought alongside the Kurds are now beginning to understand this. In France, justice applies this law to French volunteers who have decided to help Kurds in Syria and Iraq.

As a rule, volunteers refuse to call themselves "mercenaries" because they claim to be acting out of convictions (extreme right or extreme left - this depends on the theater of war). They prefer to call themselves "internationalist warriors." Today, fighters who identify themselves with the ranks of PMCs were photographed with weapons in hand along with Kurdish fighters from the SDF. For them, this is something like their "Spanish War"!

In Russia, employees of the Moran Security Group PMC, who hired more than 200 volunteers to send to Syria in 2013, were sentenced to three years in prison. On the other hand, none of the volunteers hired were prosecuted.

In Moscow, PMCs fighting under the Russian flag are prohibited, but this is nothing, they are registered in foreign countries. The company "Wagner" (Wagner), which is now talking about all the media, has about 7 thousand fighters in Syria and is registered in Argentina. The Slavic Corps, also exported to Syria in 2013, is headquartered in Hong Kong. But this does not prevent these PMCs from having representative offices (in particular, recruitment centers) in Moscow.

Evil tongues claim that training in these PMCs can take place in Russian military camps, which is quite possible. Which country has not done the same with foreign soldiers ... Morality has nothing to do with real politics practiced in almost all countries. Mercenaries are usually well paid to end their fantasy, but nothing more. Most of them are former military personnel, and salaries for specialists and former officers can go up to $ 4,000 per month. Russia is discussing a draft law on the legalization of PMCs, which would lead to social protection of their members.

What is the task of mercenaries in various operations in Syria?

The main tasks of PMCs in Syria are similar to the missions of their Western counterparts in other countries, such as Afghanistan or Libya (usually these countries ask companies to hire local employees). This is not about offensive operations, but about defending weak points. Many diplomatic missions and private firms use their services to ensure the security of their buildings, escort convoys, and train local military and police.

In fact, it is “economically” beneficial for the state to use PMCs for short or medium-term missions than government employees. The military and police are government employees and need to pay the remainder of their service, as well as pay pensions or severance pay. They are temporary participants in the hostilities, working on a fixed-term employment contract. Their difference with the professional military, most of whom also have fixed-term contracts, is that they are hired for a certain number of years after the contract is signed. Mercenaries are often hired for the duration of a specific operation.

If we talk about the incident in Syria on February 7, then most likely we are talking about the fact that the PMC members (presumably belonging to the Wagner company) were asked to accompany the Syrian militias, who were supposed to seize oil fields located in this area, that is, to the east from the Euphrates to Deir ez-Zor. The fields, which, after being abandoned by IS militants (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation - ed.), Came under the control of the SDF, the armed wing of the Americans in Syria.

Damascus's goal is to reclaim these sources of currency, and Washington, which is still eager to overthrow Assad, wants to prevent this at all costs in order to continue to stifle the country's economy. The so-called attack on the SDF command post was the perfect excuse to block access to this petrochemical structure. Essentially, after the operation, Wagner's company only had to keep an eye on the technical facilities. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It must be admitted that Damascus took an unjustified risk by invading territory east of the Euphrates, which is effectively under American control. Washington is trying to create an "independent" zone here to counter the Russian and Iranian presence west of the Euphrates and to weaken the regime. But frankly, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis denied rumors that the attempt was made in collusion with the Russian command. It seems that there was a misunderstanding between the Russians, who seemed unaware of what was being prepared, and the Americans, who did not see the Russians in the attacking troops and who, as usual, began firing indiscriminately.

Even if the attack, which killed 30 Russian mercenaries, is only indirectly related to Russia, should we expect Moscow to respond to the American attack?

The death toll has yet to be confirmed. Even the well-known "Syrian Observatory of Human Rights" in London, which has "many informers in Syria" and whose data is systematically referred to by the media, is silent. Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry's press service, admitted that five Russian citizens had died. The biggest pessimists speak about 200 - 600 killed, which, in my opinion, is too exaggerated.

As usual, the truth is somewhere in between, and your estimate of thirty killed may be pretty close to reality.

But this does not mean that there will be clashes between Russians and Americans, since this is a "private company" not officially funded by Moscow.

However, the Russians really got very "angry" and, in response, ask the Americans to evacuate the Al-Tanf military base in southeastern Syria, otherwise a "sad incident" could occur.

In practical terms, for Moscow, the use of PMCs in Syria plays into the hands, because it allows not to include the number of killed mercenaries in official statistics (about 40 dead, including two senior officers since September 2015). Since the beginning of 2017, Russian PMCs have lost more than a hundred volunteers. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, they provide missions that the regular army does not carry out due to the lack of sufficient personnel: guarding, escorting convoys, protecting people or weak points. Note that they are often paid by wealthy Syrian tycoons to defend their interests and avoid direct orders from Moscow.

The story of the dead mercenaries is used in connection with the presidential campaign in Russia to challenge the "candidate" Putin, asking him to tell by March 18 about what is really happening in Syria. Grigory Alekseevich Yavlinsky, who is Putin's rival in the upcoming elections, asked for clarification regarding the assistance provided by the PMC and the awards presented to some of its members. He is also interested in Putin's connections with Dimitri Utkin, a former Russian intelligence officer who heads the Wagner company. I wonder if the Americans are interfering in the Russian election campaign in this way? (joke)

In conclusion, I would like to say: mercenaries have always existed (the most famous of them are from the Swiss Guard), and their number will grow, because we are witnesses of a kind of privatization of war and security. And this is more economically beneficial for governments.

A recruitment of volunteers willing to risk their heads for Bashar al-Assad has opened in Russia. "Fontanka" learned how to get to war, how much the life of a soldier of fortune costs, and what does the famous German mystic anti-Semite have to do with it.

The journalist was told the phone number to call in order to be in the ranks of a Russian private military company performing special tasks in the conflict zone. A serious male voice answered the call to a mobile number registered in the Rostov region.

- Hello, I was told that I can contact you about work.
- What kind of work are you interested in, in what specialty?
- Work abroad. As I understand it, this is Syria.
- What specialty?
- I'm a machine gunner. I have serious experience.
- Is the international passport available?
- Yes.
- Do you have any problems with the law?
- No, I was not tried, was not involved, was not wanted.
- Ask questions, what interests you?
- Business trip terms, payment, tasks?
- Contract for a year, on a business trip - up to six months. The pay is high.
- I was told that this is 80 thousand rubles a week plus additional payment for military exits.
- You were told wrong. We do not have weekly pay, we pay for a month. When preparing at the landfill, it is 80 thousand rubles a month. When going on a business trip - 120 thousand. With ... hmm .. conducting intensive actions - 240 thousand. Such an alignment. But before you apply to us, you will need to pass normative tests. Physical training, medicine and specialty.
- Will I be retrained for another specialty?
- Will not. You will be checked in all directions. If you are a machine gunner - fire.
- With whom is the contract?
- This is still superfluous.
- I'm in St. Petersburg now, who should I contact?
- If you think that you meet our requirements and pass the tests, come to Molkino, in the Krasnodar Territory.
- Will this phone work?
- Yes. The private military company recruiting fighters does not advertise the name. It is not in reference books and registers.
Among the initiates, she is known as "PMC Wagner". Until recently, the main forces of this formation took part in an armed conflict on the territory of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, now they are relocating to Syria.
PMC Wagner is one of the most secret units fighting in Novorossiya. Commanders and fighters never give interviews, their photos with Ukrainian trophies do not appear on social networks, and they are not mentioned in official releases of the LPR and DPR authorities.

Informally they are called "cleaners". Wagner and his team are credited with shooting the chief of staff of the 4th DNR brigade Alexander Bednov (Batman) from grenade launchers, blowing up the Ghost brigade commander Aleksey Mozgovoy, disarming the Odessa special purpose brigade, and repression among the Cossacks operating in the east of the Luhansk region.
The Ukrainian press considers the commander of the formation to be the current Russian officer, deputy commander of the Russian group of forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the North Caucasus, the former commander of the Vityaz special forces, Colonel of the Internal Troops Yevgeny Wagner. "Fontanka" found out the "combat path" of the unit and found out who is really hiding behind a mystical pseudonym. The core of the future "PMC Wagner" was formed in the same place where the fighters went today - on the territory of the Syrian Republic.

In the fall of 2013, Russian managers of the private military company Moran Security Group, Vadim Gusev and Yevgeny Sidorov, formed a detachment of 267 “contractors” to “guard oil fields and pipelines” in the warring republic. After a month of training in a camp near Latakia, instead of guarding drilling rigs, the Slavic Corps got involved in a military clash with parts of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS is an organization banned in Russia), and after wounded six of its fighters retreated.

The result of either an unplanned battle or a financial misunderstanding with the customer was the disarming of the "corps" and evacuation to Moscow. In Vnukovo, two charters from Syria were met by FSB investigators. Gusev and Sidorov were detained on charges of mercenary activity. The fighters were interrogated and sent home, having seized preliminary electronic information carriers.

Six months later, as the participants said, many of them met in Crimea in the role of "polite people" who disarmed Ukrainian military bases. A little over a year later, a previously unknown, well-armed and equipped unit appeared in the South-East of Ukraine.

Less than two years later, the battalion, which had thinned out in battles, again plunged into planes heading for Syria. The well-known "Fontanka" condottieri from PMC Wagner were extremely restrained in communicating with journalists, but they shared part of their knowledge. According to them, the "Slavic Corps" as a single unit ceased to exist in October 2013, when the commanders were arrested, and the fighters dispersed to their regions. They returned to the service again for another customer. Wagner, a colleague who turned from a soldier to a commander, called them.

Colonel Yevgeny Wagner from the internal troops has nothing to do with the PMC of the same name. The man with the call sign "Wagner" did not serve in the Interior Ministry, but in the special forces of the GRU of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. The last place of service is the commander of one of the separate detachments of the Second Separate Special Forces Brigade of the GRU General Staff, which is stationed near Pskov.
Discharged to the reserve by a lieutenant colonel. He worked under contract with Moran Security Group, guarding ships in dangerous areas from pirate attacks. In September 2013, together with the "Slavic Corps" he visited Syria for the first time. Then he was not yet a commander and was not Wagner. He took the pretentious call sign after a Syrian business trip. As his colleagues say, “the roof is leaking”: “I turned to the German theme. Imagined himself to be an Aryan. " The first work was allegedly in the Crimea: "Group" Polite People ".

They disarmed Ukrainian bases, established Russian order. " This work is remembered with good nostalgia: paid a little, but the climate is pleasant, to live not in a trench and the risk is nominal. The idyll did not last long, soon the PMC Wagner began work on the lands of the self-proclaimed Novorossia. In addition to the "PMC operators" from the former "Slavic Corps", Wagner was attracted by pros from all over the country: who were attracted by the payment terms, who were attracted by the "opportunity for professional growth", who were ideological considerations.

Who Wagner does not have are local residents and Russian military "vacationers". Nobody gave any announcements about the recruitment, as in the pastoral times of the "Slavic Corps". Taught by the experience of their predecessors, the owners of PMCs try not to leave traces on the Web. But, despite the lack of advertising, any military specialist can find his way to the unit after two or three phone calls.

In the "Slavic Corps" they promised 5 thousand US dollars a month, in Wagner PMC the rates were in rubles. 80 thousand during training in Molkino, 120 thousand - when crossing the border of Ukraine. In case of measures "to restore order" in the territory controlled by the LPR - 180 thousand rubles a month. For military actions with Ukrainian units - "combat" 60 thousand rubles per week plus salary. "Syrian" prices are almost the same.

The cost of living is the promised 3 million rubles for the family. Each fighter, upon entering the service, signs a contract, which is symbolic, since it is clear that if something happens it is impossible to collect money from the “employer”. There are no guarantees, but Wagner has a reputation: “Clear cash settlement, no cheating. Big money invested, solid equipment, solid training. " For comparison, militias from the "official" armed formations of the DPR and LPR receive about 15 thousand rubles a month - just for smoking, toiletries and mobile communications. Even the tried and tested and experienced only get into the conflict zone through the training center.

According to our interlocutors, the preparation before the transfer across the border took place in the Rostov region, then the base was moved to Molkino near Krasnodar. Two PMC camps are adjacent to the location of the 10th separate brigade of the GRU special forces: “Preparations are going on day and night, day and night. They shoot everything. A lot of money is allocated, insanely much. One ATGM "Kornet" stands like a car. Shoot 10 - 15 pieces daily, how's that? " “At first, near Lugansk, there was a clean job, on the enemy.

Then it went ... inside the "constitutional order" began to impose - to comb the presumptuous commanders and Cossacks ", - explained the veterans. Both the press of Ukraine and many commentators from the Luhansk militia consider Wagner to be the executor of the murders of the chief of staff of the 4th brigade of the LPR Alexander Bednov and the commander of the "Ghost" Alexei Mozgovoy, who were in a protracted conflict with the head of the republic Igor Plotnitsky. The interlocutors of Fontanka, having heard the direct question, looked at the journalist in surprise and said nothing. Note that among the supporters of Batman and Mozgovoy there is no single point of view on the involvement of Wagner PMCs in these liquidations.

If the story of the death of militia commanders is taboo, then they speak calmly about the seizure of “a separate brigade of the LPR Ministry of State Security“ Odessa ”and the arrest of its commander Alexei Fomichev (Foma) and do not hide their role in“ putting things in order ”, demonstrating open contempt for the fighting qualities of the militia and Cossack formations. Note that the Cossacks pay the "Wagnerians" in the same coin, considering them dudes who have not been in the trenches.

In the trenches of PMC Wagner, apparently, really rarely sits, the fighters, according to them, are mainly involved in sabotage and reconnaissance and reconnaissance groups, they also control the supply bases and accompany VIPs in the "green zone". The contract is for a year, the usual mode of work is a month in business, 10 days at home. From this period in Ukraine, when two weeks pass, when three.

Sometimes the groups will return after a few days if they are heavily pressured and suffer losses. Fontanka has no exact data on the losses - their number lies between 30 and 80 dead. Among them, at least one resident of St. Petersburg, who died on August 21, 2014. The Syrian theme has always been present. So, almost simultaneously with the "Slavic Corps", a group not connected with Gusev left on a business trip near Damascus under a contract with a mysterious Cypriot offshore company.

In the fall of 2014, the first teams, according to informed interlocutors, left Wagner as well. A strict ban on footprints in social networks is in effect, they could not be found. A photo discovered by Ukrainian bloggers and journalists, allegedly taken by Russian contractors in the Al-Sayamiyya area in October 2014, was actually only posted on that date. As Fontanka established, in fact, this photograph of the Slavic Corps dates from October 17, 2013, the day of the clash with ISIS. Summer 2015 is a turning point. A serious team is being formed in Molkino in August.

In September, the fighters begin to descend to their duty station. The reporter was convinced that they were sending the fighters on board the military transport aviation, along with military and humanitarian supplies sent to Bashar al-Assad. It is difficult to say how many PMC contractors have been transported to Syria, estimates vary greatly, but if before September 2015 there were dozens of soldiers, today there are hundreds, if not thousands. And everyone was promised 240 thousand rubles per month of battles. Funding is the biggest secret of PMCs.

Most of the soldiers of fortune do not know the name of their commander, and almost no one knows who pays them. Russian corporations, which can be considered private military companies, are well-known, and their leaders claim that they have nothing to do with either the Ukrainian events, or the dispatch of landsknechts to Syria, or personally to Wagner. "RSB-Group" is not involved in sending anyone to Syria, - says the general director of the company Oleg Krinitsyn. - I heard about it, but such tasks were not set for us.

There will be proposals, there will be tasks - we will discuss ”. Boris Chikin, Deputy General Director of Moran Security Group, explained that Wagner's previous work under a contract with Moran is a thing of the past: “Please understand that our company has a very small staff of permanent employees - first of all, organizers and managers. Employees who directly protect ships in pirate-prone areas conclude a temporary contract for a certain period, after which their relationship with Moran Security Group is terminated. " As for Syria, Boris Chikin assured: “Our company has not received any offers to participate in the Syrian project.

If we receive proposals, we will consider them. " Under great secrecy and in a whisper, they name the name of a well-known restaurateur close to the supreme power and the Ministry of Defense. But, as far as Fontanka knows, the obscure "gasket" company, on whose behalf the contracts for the war are concluded, is not formally connected either with the restaurateur himself or with the companies he controls. There is still no reliable information about the actions and losses of PMCs in Syria in the fall of 2015.

Igor Strelkov at the profile forum reports that "in Syria, Wagner and other PMCs have already suffered sensitive losses," noting that "that's the beauty of cheap mercenaries from among the officers thrown out on the street as a result of the army reform, that they are even buried not required - so, sprinkled with sand and that's enough. "

His anonymous opponent asked Fontanka to recall the fighting qualities of the Slavic Corps: “On October 17, 2013, in the Es-Sakhna region, 267 Russians were attacked by more than 2,000 Islamists. The terrorists lost up to 300 people, including two emirs. Russian losses - 6 wounded. There are no analogues of a successful military operation of this kind in modern history. There is no "Slavic Corps". But his fighters are fighting. "

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