Wagner's army. From a Russian PMC soldier about the war in Syria. And Molkino is what

The staff correspondent of "Reedus" Anna Dolgareva met with the veteran of Donbass, who fought in Syria as part of " PMC Wagner».

The controversy about the death of Russians from the blow of the American military in Syria... The citizens of the Russian Federation who died there were not in official service in the Russian army - they worked in "Private military company Wagner", in fact - were mercenaries. Many of them, before joining PMCs and being sent to Syria, fought in Donbass. The "Reedus" correspondent managed to talk to one of these "soldiers of fortune", who had already returned to a peaceful life. At the request of the interlocutor, we cannot disclose his name.

How could you prove your participation in the hostilities in Syria?

- What could you prove? It's easier than ever to say the number of the badge, but then they will immediately understand who has opened up. I could have named my colleagues, but then it’s easier to introduce myself… It turns out that your business is to believe me or not.

Well, how did you end up in PMC Wagner?

- Friends called, signed a contract and went. Combat experience at that time was, even from the Donbass.

What exactly was written in the contract?

- The contract is concluded with the EuroPolis firm. It is unofficially "PMC Wagner". A non-disclosure paper is signed for a period of 5 years. This paper forbids you to tell anything about the company and its connection with Wagner.

Moreover, the third clause of the contract is very interesting. It states that we are flying there not as military personnel, but as civilian personnel. That is, oilmen, builders, consultants for the restoration of the infrastructure of the ATS.

The next item is the next of kin. They are contacted in the event of the death of a soldier. They are also paid compensation for the deceased. In the security company, compensation is up to 3 million rubles, in the assault detachments - up to 5 million rubles for the deceased .

Then - the clause on the voluntary renunciation of state awards: medals, orders and crosses. (Our interlocutor was unable to answer the question of why this was needed, but the experts made it clear that such a refusal was signed so that there would be no material evidence in the event of capture or death with the loss of a body. - Approx. "Reedus".)

The last point of the agreement is the most curious. The company promises that it will make every effort to return the body to its homeland. But it does not guarantee one hundred percent that this will be done.

Here are the main points in a nutshell. I will not show you the contract itself, it is unrealistic to photograph it - at the exit, the SB checks the phones.

What sanctions were provided for violation of the terms of the contract? For example, for disclosure?

- The sanctions were not spelled out in the agreement, therefore I cannot say what kind of punishment we are talking about.

But you understand that you are violating the terms of the contract? Why are you telling us this?

- I think that people should know the truth.

And what is Molkino?

- The Molkino farm near Krasnodar. There is also a Wagner base.

Pay a lot?

- When I signed the contract, there was an amount of 240 thousand rubles. In fact, they subsequently received 150 thousand plus bonuses from 30 to 100% of the salary, depending on the combat missions completed.

They fell on bank card or could someone from your family get them for you?

- The salary was received at the cash desk, in cash. But relatives could also receive, at the base in Molkino. Those who wanted the money to go to their families immediately wrote a power of attorney in their name.

How do you get there, in a PMC?

- Mostly through friends. Here my friends suggested. Such word of mouth. Many who have passed the Donbass are aware of the ins and outs of all this.

Lost in Syria pMC soldier Maxim Kolganov - during preparation - at the tactical shooting range in Molkino /Fontanka.ru

Are there any strict requirements for the selection of people?

- Now the conditions for recruitment have softened. When I quit, a huge crowd of about sixty people was arranged in front of me. At first, we tried, of course, to take people with experience, but the increase in losses made the selection soften and everyone rowed... And, in fact, this affected the quality of the replenishment.

A vicious circle turns out: an increase in losses, a recruitment of less efficient reinforcements, hence again an increase in losses ... Is the percentage of deaths generally high?

- With regards to losses - almost every third soldier in our country was "a load of 200" (killed) or "300" (wounded)... All because of the constant attacks on the forehead.

Dmitry Utkin, aka Wagner /Fontanka.ru

Were you forced to go head-on?

- Yes exactly. This is Wagner's favorite tactic.

And, of course, many losses were due to their own stupidity. "Spirits" (fighters of terrorist formations. - Approx. "Reedus") mined everything, in general everything, from the word "absolutely". Well, ours were often blown up by booby-traps. The mined items were picked up and again blown up.

Still "spirits" left cartridges filled with plastid or TNT. As a result, when firing, the machine gun was torn in hands ...

What combat missions did you perform?

- Yes, they just walked forward. Frontal, as I said.

Did they give you any preparation before that?

- Yes, there was preparation at the base in Molkino. A month and a half. It all boiled down to sapper business, tactics, military field medicine and control firing.

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Can you tell us about any memorable fight?

- Yes ... We then stormed a small mountain ridge near Deir ez-Zur, after breaking the defense line of which the road to the Euphrates and a small town on the right flank of Deir ez-Zur opened up ... I don't remember the name, but the place itself is still in front of my eyes worth it.

We moved forward in several Urals. After five kilometers, they were forced to unload from the vehicles and line up in marching columns. After another three kilometers of foot march, they entered into fire contact, the heavy squad turned around and began to work.

Soon there was a big crash - we, as it turned out later, burned the T-62 tank. Well ... well, that's all. There was nothing particularly heroic there. We took that ridge ...

Here, according to the interlocutor of "Reedus", the "frontal" battle of the "Wagnerites" in question took place /yandex.maps

Tell me something else. What is your motivation to fight there? For money, for Russia or something else?

- If in Donbass they fought for an idea, then everything there comes down to money and does not smell of any idea. At least that's the case for me.

Are there many of those who fought in the Donbass? Why did they go to fight then to Syria?

- Yes, I had a lot of guys who went from Donbass directly to Syria. Whoever I talked to, everyone says the same thing: there are no full-scale combat in Donbass, but in Syria the war is burning in full and money is being paid.

It's hard to fight when there is no war or peace. This is me about Donbass. Well, people are leaving for Syria.

We worked there almost every day. There were short breaks - to replenish ammunition, rest a little, no more than two or three days ...

Things are good. Only one thing but: to return from there alive there was a chance of 30-40 percent.

Volunteers in Donbass, 2014 /youtube.com

Did you observe this yourself, the death of the guys? Have many comrades died in your unit?

- Yes. Many good guys have died. The count goes to tens, if we talk about those whom he knew personally. Recently, two very close friends lay down in the Fifth Division following a recent disaster. and the complete destruction of the fifth squad.

Please tell us about the destruction of the fifth division. How many people died there, what did your friends tell you about it?

- About the destruction of the fifth detachment, I do not presume to name specific numbers, because I was not there. A friend of mine is fighting there now, and, according to his wife, he is alive. When he arrives, then he will shed light on the truth.

But the sources that now exist in the person of Igor Strelkov and Mikhail Polynkov, I believe, you can trust them, since Strelkov himself has many associates in Wagner who have served and are serving.

One of the PMC fighters who died in Syria

But if such a disaster, then why not a single photo, not a single video?

- Because there is nothing to shoot with! I also do not have a single photo from there. They did not take the phones with them, they were seized before sending them.

Well, let them seize it, you already spoke about the control of the Security Council. But then where do the media and social networks find photographs of "Wagnerians" from Syria?

- Some were more cunning, they bought on the spot.

Clear. What plans do you have for the future? Are you not going to return to fight in Donbass?

- Yes. It is addictive. If the massacre starts, I'll be back.

Anna Dolgareva

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1. Union of fascists with recidivists.

Roma was killed, but the people, the cadres that he put forward are still alive. One of them whom Roma left us as a keepsake is Putin's chef Prigozhin. He could not have gotten so close to Putin and Zolotov if Tsepov had not helped. As the saying goes, the person died, but his work lives on.

4. Forces of special machinations.

In general, as you understood, Putin's chef is a person with a rich biography. And in 2000-2001. she made another zigzag: Prigozhin left from under the roof of Misha Kutaissky and went over to Tsepov-Zolotov. And soon he completely fell into Putin's inner circle.

After this, the affairs of our hero went uphill. From an average restaurateur, he turned into a supplier of ready meals for schools and military units for huge sums. But at some point even this seemed not enough. And somewhere in 2012, Prigozhin began to be attracted for a non-core (non-kitchen) business.

At first it was a project to clog the Internet with Putin's propaganda. With Prigozhin's money (ie from the budget), the famous troll factory in Olgino appeared in St. Petersburg, which then moved to 55 Savushkina, then to the Lakhta-2 business center, etc.

Petersburg, business center "Lakhta-2" on the street Optics, 4. Most of Putin's comments on social networks are written here.

Plus to this comment-writing factory, in 2014 there was another “ Federal agency news ”(FAN) is a group of sites that spreads Putin's and GB-shnuyu nonsense on the Internet under the guise of news. From the series: “The USA is in a panic over our new fighter. The Russophobes of the State Department strangled themselves with laces. " True, they overdid it, and in 2017 Google threw all FAN sites out of Google News, along with the archive for all the years. But Yandex News continues to give out this Prigogine garbage in batches.

And finally, since 2014, Prigozhin began to participate not only in informational wars, but also in real wars of the Putin regime - in eastern Ukraine, Wagner's PMC received the baptism of fire. And in the fall of 2015, she was transferred to Syria.

Moscow, 2016. The commanders of Wagner PMCs in the Kremlin. Judging by the Russian press, in Lugansk Utkin liked to go out wearing a Wehrmacht helmet. In the image that is. It's strange that he didn't wear it to the Kremlin. Still, a meeting with the Fuhrer.

The one to the left of Putin is Andrei Troshev ("Sedoy"), Utkin's deputy at the PMC. A former paratrooper, then he served in the SOBR. According to Russian media reports, in June 2017, he was found on the street in St. Petersburg in a state of "severe alcoholic intoxication" and taken to a hospital. I had 5 million rubles with me, some maps of Syria, papers for Wagner PMC. I almost drank the military secret, in short.

Another participant of the reception in the Kremlin is Ratibor, aka Alexander Kuznetsov. This is a major from the "Senezh" center in Solnechnogorsk ("sunflowers", special operations forces of the Ministry of Defense). In 2008, Major Ratibor sat for robbery and kidnapping. In 2013, he miraculously got out of prison and became a mercenary.

It is noteworthy that in the same place in Solnechnogorsk, where the "sunflowers" grow, the private security company "Stealth" is now based, about which Litvinenko once wrote. The private security company was established in the 1990s. jointly by the FSB and the Izmaylovo organized criminal group to commit contract killings - for hire and by order of the Motherland. Special forces fighters were involved in the private security company. The office was a living symbol of the merger of the FSB and the mafia - where one ended and another began, it was already impossible to determine.

The private security company "Stealth" was founded by FSB colonel Lutsenko (he still works there), and General Khokholkov ("Yeltsin Sudoplatov") was his curator in the 1990s. The general also covered the heroin trade, and the PSC was his help in the showdown. In short, the special operations forces (lads with the Chekists).

Returning to the Wagner PMC, it is worth noting that it also arose on the basis of the under-roof office of the special services: the backbone of Wagner PMC was formed back in 2013 as part of a security company Moran Security Groupheaded by Vyacheslav Kalashnikov, Putin's colleague in the KGB.

Moran is a firm that, since 2010, has been recruiting mercenaries to guard sea-going ships abroad (including those carrying contraband). It was to Kalashnikov in "Moran" that Utkin first went, quitting the army in 2013. Major Kuznetsov (Ratibor) also began his career there as a mercenary after leaving prison, and many others.

Lieutenant Colonel of the FSB Vyacheslav Kalashnikov from Petersburg. The person who selected the key personnel for the Wagner PMC:

In 2013, the first (unsuccessful) attempt to send mercenaries to Syria for land operations was made through the Kalashnikov firm. They collected a small unit (267 people), with the loud name "Slavic Corps", and sent to fight for Assad. However, without air and artillery support, the mercenaries could not fight, in the first battle they fled and were sent back to Russia.

This detachment included Utkin and the future command staff of Wagner PMC. The first pancake came out lumpy, but in 2014 they were remembered again, creating a new, larger gang, which went to fight on a grand scale - in Ukraine, again in Syria, etc. And the lackey cook was brought in to pay for it all (from the budget money in the end, so it's not a pity).

In August-September 2017, pro-Assad forces, with the support of the Russian Aerospace Forces, successfully developed an offensive in territories in eastern Syria controlled by IS militants. Along with reports of the liberation of settlements in social networks and the media, information about the death of Russian mercenaries began to appear more and more often. Below we provide a list of PMC Wagner fighters who died during the fighting in Syria over the past two months.

Belyaev Vitaly Ivanovich

24-year-old native of the city of Troitsk. In the photo accompanying the message about Vitaly's death, you can see several medals of the "Wagner group" at once, as well as the departmental medal of the Russian Ministry of Defense "For the return of Crimea". Died on September 22.

Nurullin Azat Rafisovich

Note: in the original version of the material, we provided an incorrect photo (it is also visible on the screenshot of the publication of the Vkontakte group "Bad News"). Nurullin Azat Raisovich, whose photo was originally published, is alive. In Syria, his almost complete namesake from Kazan, Nurullin Azat Rafisovich, died. The following are his photographs.

He lived in the city of Kazan. Reportedly killed by a sniper in the province of Homs. He died on September 15.

Gladyshev Alexey

Originally from Perm. Like many other mercenaries of the Wagner PMC, Alexei had previously taken part in battles in eastern Ukraine. The circumstances of his death are currently unknown. Estimated date of death - September 19. Alexey's relatives, who now lead his profile in in social networks, confirm the fact of his death.

Ilchevsky Ivan Alekseevich

Volzhsky city, Volgograd region. Date and circumstances of death are unknown, he was buried on September 3.

Krizhanovsky Igor

He lived in Nizhny Novgorod. As in the case of Vitaly Belyaev, among the published photographs dedicated to his death, there are photographs of the "Wagner medals" he received. Died on September 13.

Solnyshkov Roman Viktorovich

Note: in the first version of the material, we indicated the name of the deceased as Savely Sukhov. In fact, the deceased's name is Roman Viktorovich Solnyshkov.

Like some other Wagnerians, in 2014–2015 he fought in eastern Ukraine as part of the Sparta battalion. The circumstances and date of death are currently unknown.

Alexey Yaroshevich

In addition, there is information about the death of a number of people in Syria, whose real names have not yet been established:

Cossack from the city of Magnitogorsk, born in 1989, callsign "Kalych".

Dmitry from the city of Michurinsk, Tambov region.

The names given by us are only those losses of the "Wagner group" about which there is information in open sources. Estimates of the total losses of Russian mercenaries are rare, although, for example, the former defense minister of the so-called DPR Igor Girkin (Strelkov) calls the figure up to 60 people.

Unlike a funeral russian soldierswho died in Syria, the funeral of Wagnerian mercenaries usually takes place 2-4 weeks after death. The relatives of the victims are trying to prevent information leaks in the media, the profiles of those killed are erased.

The Russian Defense Ministry does not recognize these losses, as well as the existence of PMC Wagner in general.

Updating the material: While preparing this material, we made two serious mistakes.

Nurullin Azat Rafisovich really died in Syria, but not the one whose photographs we originally cited in the material, but his almost complete namesake. The person whose photographs we initially cited in the publication is Nurullin Azat Raisovich. The deceased's name was Azat Rafisovich Nurullin (the difference is in one letter in the patronymic). They are both from the city of Kazan and previously served in the Airborne Forces. We apologize to Nurullin Azat Raisovich.

The person in the photograph, whom we indicated as Savely Sukhov, is actually called Solnyshkov Roman Viktorovich (call sign "Sun"). Savely Sukhov is alive and has published a photograph of the deceased. We offer our apologies to Savely Sukhov and all readers.

Thank you Twitter user

The history of secret Russian mercenaries.

Oleg served in Syria in a military unit that did not officially exist on paper, but which was known as the "Wagner Group" or "musicians", fought on the side of the Syrian pro-government forces and was formed from experienced fighters by order of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Oleg took part in the battles for the liberation of Palmyra. His salary was 4,500 euros per month plus bonuses.
Russia launched a military operation in civil war-torn Syria slightly more than a year ago - September 30, 2015. A lot has changed since then. If then the house of Assads was kept by a hair's breadth from death, then after Russian intervention the loyalists managed to recapture Palmyra from the Islamic State and win a crushing victory in Aleppo.

All these successes of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), pretty battered in the heat of war, would have been unthinkable without the support of Russia. It carries out air and missile strikes against opponents of government forces, supplies weapons and trains some units.

Officially, there are no fighters in the Russian contingent who do the "dirty work" - people from the "Wagner group". Such a unit or private military company does not formally exist. But this is on paper. In reality, the Russians managed to fight in different parts of Syria both against the Islamic State and against the "greens" - various groups that are considered moderate opposition in the West.

When asked why Oleg went to Syria, he replies: “I was a hired worker, and I don’t care about this war at all. I like this job, if I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t work there”.

Oleg is not worried that he might be called a hired killer: "That's right, I went for money. Maybe it's even easier, really?" When you meet him on the street, you don't recognize him as a soldier of fortune - Hollywood stamps don't work. A regular guy. A merry fellow, in whose eyes tears welling up when he remembers the fallen comrades.

New Slavic Corps

The Wagner Group is no ordinary private military company. This is a miniature army. “We had a complete set: mortars, howitzers, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers,” explains Oleg.

In some circles, the unit's fighters are called musicians: supposedly, the unit commander chose a call sign in honor of the German composer Richard Wagner. According to some reports, 47-year-old lieutenant colonel Dmitry Utkin is hiding behind this call sign. He served in the special forces in Pechory. This is not the first time in Syria - before that, he quite officially worked as part of a private military company known as the Slavic Corps.

The company was hired by Syrian tycoons to guard the oil fields and pillars in Deir ez-Zor. However, in October 2013 in the city of Al-Suhna, the guards got into serious trouble: they entered into an unequal battle with the jihadists of the Islamic State. "The participants told me, an enchanting battle, almost an oncoming battle for the city. Almost with two thousand militants against two hundred or three hundred, guards," - says Oleg.

After these events, the contract between the customer and the guards broke down. According to Oleg, they did not agree on the payment: the "Syrian bigwigs" refused to pay extra for more dangerous work and began to threaten the Russians. The "Slavic Corps" left Syria.

The Wagner Group has another, more serious customer - the RF Ministry of Defense (RF Ministry of Defense). Before being transferred to Syria in the fall of 2015, the "musicians" underwent three-month training at the Molkino training ground in the direct vicinity of the base of a separate special forces brigade of the Main Intelligence Directorate.

The "Wagner Group" got to Syria on planes. And these were not Aeroflot liners, says Oleg, smiling. The fighters were transported on transport aircraft of the 76th Airborne Division, which is stationed in the Pskov region.

"The Pskov planes carried us. From Molkino by buses to Moscow: we received passports. From there to Chkalovskiy, from Chkalovskiy to Mozdok by airplane. Two hours for refueling and maintenance. And another five-hour flight: over the Caspian Sea, Iran, Iraq and landing on the base of Khmeimim. Turkey does not allow it - it is not possible directly, "the fighter explains. After their arrival, they were accommodated in the city's sports complex, which Oleg chose not to name.

Equipment, including artillery and tanks, was transported by sea using the so-called "Syrian Express" - on the ships of the Russian Navy from Novorossiysk to Tartus. It is known from various sources that the group was sent to Syria twice: for a short period in the fall of 2015 and to participate in a longer operation in the winter and spring of next year. Each trip is a separate contract.

Typically, Wagner's people are experienced fighters who have gone through several conflicts. And although you won't see recruiting advertisements in the newspapers, the group had no problems recruiting specialists.

Oleg admits that he didn’t go to Wagner the first time - he didn’t trust: “Practically, they get on an acquaintance and nothing else. As such, there is no free set. When recruiting, a couple of tests are carried out: for alcohol and drug use. ".

Among the Wagnerites there are many who fought in the Donbass on the side of the separatists. They undergo additional polygraph tests. They may even ask if they are FSB agents - the special services in Wagner do not favor. The group has its own security department that fights information leaks. Finding photos of Russian condottieri on the Internet is a great success. This is an offense that entails serious sanctions for the guilty.

In Syria, fighters were paid 300,000 rubles (about 4,500 euros) a month plus bonuses. There was also a kind of insurance system: about 300,000 rubles for injury and coverage of treatment costs in high-quality clinics. For the death - five million rubles to the family. Although from a legal point of view, the contract with the Wagner group is an insignificant piece of paper, Oleg confirms: every last penny and even more have been paid. But there is no talk of complete safety.

That is, do you have at least some protection?
- From what?
- From the state.
- From the state, I think not.

Gone are the fierce hell

The civil war in Syria is merciless - the interests of many countries are intertwined here. Hundreds of factions with varying motivations are fighting on both sides of the front, but none can be denied in brutality. Why does Russia need this stupid war, Oleg prefers not to think. “I haven’t seen smart wars yet,” he retorts.

According to Oleg, a predominantly secular lifestyle reigns in government-controlled territories. A woman in a burqa is very rare, although many wear a hijab. In the liberated areas of Latakia, the local population is more likely for Assad.

"In Latakia, there are portraits of Assad and Hafez Assad - the president's father. But locals do not show the relationship. This is a civil war - you are either for or against. If you try to be neutral, then you will most likely feel bad," Oleg describes.

The locals treat the Russians well, and the Syrian military almost idolizes. "We are Russians for them. You see, they are very glad that the Russians have arrived. Finally, they think, I can sit down and drink mate again, let the Russians fight," says Oleg, smiling. "When we arrived in one city, They were dancing there all night in the squares, shooting into the air with joy. But how upset they were when we left! "

The once wealthy Murek, after the departure of the Russian "musicians", the Syrians left. The years of war have depleted the manpower reserves of the Syrian Arab Army. Coupled with a lack of fighting spirit and military training, only individual units remain combat-ready: "Firstly, they have no training: they don't even know how to shoot. Secondly, they have a terrifying attitude towards weapons: they don't even clean them."

This is largely why, according to various sources, the "Wagner Group" was used as a fire brigade - it operated where it was most difficult and, with the exception of the operation near Palmyra, in small groups.

“We have always been where there was the most garbage, the very hell. All that I saw was the most fierce hell, - Oleg does not hide his disdainful attitude towards the Syrian militias and the military, which, according to him, cannot be distinguished. - God forbid, have such allies. Because they always do the ***. Always. "

In Latakia, due to the inaction of the Syrians, the "Wagner group" suffered significant losses. Oleg retells the circumstances of that battle he heard from his colleagues with poorly concealed irritation. On that day, the Russians were supposed to cover the Syrian attack on the mountain and suppress the enemy's firing points at neighboring heights. After the end of the artillery preparation, the Syrians refused to go on the attack. The Wagner group had to take over the job. The climb up the mountain went without incident, but at the top point the Russians were under fire from three sides.

"The mountain is completely naked. If you are not in the trench, the end is. The wounded appear, they need to be evacuated. How many people are leaving? At least two are dragging, others are covering. The path along which the guys were climbing turned out to be under fire - you cannot go. I had to go down the mined slope." , - says Oleg.

Wagner's soldiers lost about twenty people wounded that day and not a single one killed.

The Russians tried to rouse the allies to attack by force - they jumped into their trenches and shot at their feet, but they did not budge. "And the Syrians did not stop firing at the height. It turns out they were shooting our ass. It was hell," Oleg complains.

According to him, in the fall, the Wagner Group lost about 15 people killed. Half of them in one day: from an ammunition explosion in a campground. What it was, Oleg does not know, there were versions about a mortar mine or an American bomb. In winter and spring, the losses were greater, but he could not give exact figures.

This is not the only reason why Oleg dislikes government forces. "They steal everything that is not nailed down. They drag everything: pipes, wiring, even tore off the tiles. I saw how they took the toilet," he explains. Oleg did not hear about the punishments for looting from the Syrians.

Fought for Palmyra

However, Oleg does not have a high opinion of the "babakhs" - this is the name of the armed opposition, which is considered moderate in the West. According to him, the concept of the Free Syrian Army should be understood as hundreds of groups, including those of the Islamist persuasion, which periodically fight each other for territory: "They also need to eat something." Although he admits: "Greens are different."

"Turkomans are good guys. Good, I respect them. They fight desperately because they are fighting for their villages. If they leave the village, everyone leaves. They are generally different people. It would be beneficial for the Syrians to oust them from Latakia completely. In fact, it is ethnic cleansing," - he states.

In 2016, the "Wagner Group" was united and transferred to Palmyra to fight the Islamic State. If in the fall there were about 600 mercenaries in Syria, then in winter and spring their number doubled. “It was easier near Palmyra, because we were all packed into a heap and we were performing one integral task,” says Oleg.

According to him, there were no such battles in the city. In difficult battles, "Wagner's group" occupied all important heights, after which the jihadists simply left the devastated city: "There is a highway behind the ridge. Ours took out tanks and began to destroy everything that moved along it. We pressed a bunch of cars. Then they drove for trophies." ...

Ishilovites have established themselves as fanatical fighters: they sow terror among both Iraqis and Syrians. Oleg points out that Islamists from Europe are probably fighting well, but they have not encountered such. “Blacks” are also different. They have local militias: a soldier has a machine gun and nothing else. Such a "black" cannot fight either. There was a case. The observers reported that unknown people arrived in cars, lined up in a wedge and are walking towards us. They were covered with artillery, no one fired from a machine gun - they all were put down, "he recalls.

However, there are obvious advantages on the side of the Islamists: "They are very literate. Ours occupied the ridge, but they left Palmyra: they did not arrange Stalingrad. Why is it necessary - they kept the people and retreated. And now they are constantly acting with small injections, constantly attacking the Syrians."

After completing the task, Wagner's group left the city. The laurels of the victors went to the Syrian troops, who entered the empty city. However, the government troops won the victory won by the Russians: on December 11, 2016, the Islamists recaptured Palmyra.

The fall of this city is an eloquent confirmation that despite all the recent successes, the war is still far from over. Assad's supporters are unable to act everywhere - they lack the strength and specialists. And not only at the front: the "Wagner Group" was used, among other things, for the repair of equipment.

“There is a huge armored plant in Hama. Before our guys arrived, the Syrians were repairing two tanks a month. When our guys arrived, they immediately began to issue 30 tanks a month. They worked from morning to evening: they were not even allowed into the city there, the poor. They worked hard like slaves - in the evening they fell without legs. All of us left, but these repairmen remained there, "Oleg recalls, laughing.

The Wagner Group was withdrawn from Syria at the end of spring this year. The last operation of the Russians was the cleanup of the vicinity of the airport near Palmyra. "Among the palm trees and a labyrinth of stone fences," the mercenary says.

Since then, there have been no signs of the participation of Russian condottieri in this war. After the liberation of Palmyra, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation held a concert in the ancient amphitheater of the city. We played music by Prokofiev. It is quite possible that musicians may appear in this city again. Only these will be "musicians" with automatic weapons - the ghostly "Wagner group".

Oleg is ready: "Of course I'll go. At least I'll go to Africa, Lord. It doesn't matter where, I really like this work."

Russian officials claim that our troops are not involved in the ground operation in Syria. But is it. Skynews journalists interviewed two former mercenaries who fought in Syria as part of Wagner PMC.

"Only a small number of instructors and military advisers," Russian officials never tire of arguing that there is no need for a ground operation in Syria.

These claims about the low cost of the Syrian conflict to Russia may be seriously questioned by two young men who argue that Russian involvement in the Syrian events has a much broader scope and cost that the Putin administration is unlikely to accept.

The interlocutors told reporters that they were recruited by the private military company Wagner to serve in Syria and taken there aboard a Russian military transport plane.

For the equivalent of £ 3,000 a month, these men were thrown right into the heat of fighting rebel groups, including the Islamic State.

Two of this group, Dmitry and Alexander, told reporters that they were happy only because they survived.

“About 50 to 50,” says Alexander (this is an assumed name). “Those who go there for money, as a rule, die. Those who go to fight for the idea, to fight against the Americans, their special forces, have a better chance of surviving. "

“Approximately 500-600 people died there,” says Dmitry. “No one will ever know about them ... This terrible thing... Nobody will ever know. "

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warned in February that the deployment of foreign ground forces in Syria could lead to a new world war. Probably, in his opinion, Russian mercenaries are not among them - although analysts are not too surprised by this.

Military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer believes that the use of mercenaries is quite consistent with the Russian doctrine of "hybrid war".

“Obviously, Wagner exists. Such "volunteers" appear in the zones of various conflicts where the Russian government wants to be represented. First Crimea, then Donbass, and today - Syria. And all of them are there illegally, ”he adds.

They accuse the Russian authorities of hiding this information.

“Has anyone told you about this? Sometimes the bodies are cremated, and the documents write “missing”, sometimes the papers state that the soldier was killed in Donbass, and sometimes they write - a car accident or something like that, ”says Alexander.

Dmitry claims that there are hundreds of Russian casualties in Syria.

“Sometimes they burn, and sometimes they don't,” he says. “It's often just a hole in the ground. Much depends on how the commanders feel about the dead soldier, ”he adds.

Dmitry has already returned to Moscow, but his experiences still haunt him. When he was recruited to Wagner, he gave his documents. He went to the training base to find them, but ended up with the police instead. The officer told him in no uncertain terms that "Wagner never existed."

Dmitry said that he knows about 50 more men who survived in Syria, who, like him, roam the streets of Moscow without documents.

“Nobody knows me. He just threw me out, ”says Dmitry.

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