[32] Still, in mid-September, the al-Shaer gas fields started getting back into production. [121], As of the end of November 2018, the PMCs were conducting very few combat missions. [99][100], On 2 March 2018, at least two pro-government fighters were reportedly killed by coalition air raids near Khasham. [94] A Russian paramilitary chief, critical of the killed contractors, also claimed 218 PMCs were killed and that the families were still waiting for their remains. [69] However, on 4 December, the ISIS Hunters reported they had killed the commander of the ISIL militants that had captured and executed the two PMCs. [82][83] According to two U.S. defense officials, the U.S. military assessed that Russian PMCs also participated in the assault, with one saying some of the contractors had been killed in the air-strikes. [2], As with the deconfliction line, the Syrian government itself never officially agreed to this limit but due to its dependence on Russia, the Syrian Army had nevertheless been, by and large de facto adhering to both; the Iranian government also never joined either of these two bilateral U.S.Russian agreements. [4][12][5] Nearby American artillery batteries, including an M142 HIMARS, shelled Syrian forces as well. [75] As part of the same campaign in the northwest of Syria, in early February 2018, the PMCs helped in the capture of several villages in the northeastern countryside of Hama from IS. [126], In early September, the PMC's were preparing for an offensive to assault the rebel-held city of Idlib. More importantly, it does not suit the dead mercenaries parents and relatives, who cannot even talk openly about how their son or brother died. I thought to myself, Enough, its time to get out of the shadows. I will not be dissuaded from publishing again. [113] On 18 March, the rebels launched a counter-attack in an attempt to recapture Mesraba and quickly seized most of the town from government forces. According to the announcement, the unit was formed to conduct reconnaissance and attacks in Ukraine. In 2017, backed by U.S. forces, the SDF captured Raqqa from the Islamic State and then advanced to the Euphrates River, where a deconfliction line was established by the governments of the United States and Russia. [101][102] Three other Wagner commanders also stated the claim of 200 dead was an exaggeration and that 15 PMCs were killed at the most. ? [91][92] Some posts on Russian social media made claims of over 200 Russian PMCs being killed, although the veracity of this information was questioned[93] and could not be confirmed. The Syrian government controlled all areas west of the river, including the great majority of Deir ez-Zor, and a salient on the river's east bank across from the city. The state puts mercenaries in a situation where they can act outside the law, and a soldier is forced to establish his own moral norms. Furthermore, Russian private military contractors ("volunteers"), notably those associated with the Wagner Group, had been engaged in ground operations throughout that time, although their presence was never officially confirmed by the Russian government. I know you're going to ask, so I'm going to be clear that I will not speculate on the composition of this force or whose control they were under. [34], In early July 2017, a video emerged that showed Wagner PMCs bludgeoning a man who was initially believed to be a captured ISIL militant in the Palmyra area, with the person being beheaded after. Around 2030 shells landed within 500 meters of the headquarters. [27][28], Besides fighting ISIL militants, according to RBK TV, the PMCs trained a Syrian Army unit called the ISIS Hunters, which was also fully funded and trained by Russian special forces. [17], Wagner PMCs were involved in both Palmyra offensives in 2016 and 2017, as well as the Syrian Army's campaign in central Syria in the summer of 2017 and the Battle of Deir ez-Zor in late 2017. Established in 2014 to support pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, Wagner is allegedly funded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a powerful businessman closely Instead, they were stationed at facilities and it was stated that during the past summer a company trained for three months at a base, 70 kilometers from Deir ez-Zor, for riot control. Prigozhin and Moscow have denied any knowledge of Wagner; officially, private military companies remain illegal in Russia. The groups were quickly pushed back. Sitting in a cafe in an upmarket Moscow suburb, the former mercenary Marat Gabidullin looked a long way from the battlefields of Syria where he fought half a decade ago. [39][failed verification], In an official statement that was released by the "ISIS Hunters" unit of the Syrian Armed Forces, they had received intelligence that ISIL forces were moving towards Khasham and government forces decided to move from the Euphrates so to cut off ISIL's line of attack. Hamdi Bouta) from Deir ez-Zor, of being a jihadist for wanting to desert. [86][87] An official statement by the ISIS Hunters unit stated they had received intelligence that ISIL forces were moving towards Khasham and government forces decided to move from the Euphrates so as to cut off ISIL's line of attack. Americans responded with airstrikes in a four-hour battle, killing an estimated 200 combatants. [14] Later, it was revealed that the company would receive 25 percent of the proceeds from oil and gas production at fields its PMCs captured and secured from ISIL. Troops Staying In Syria To Counter Assad, Iran, "PMC Wagner chief: 14 were killed in Syria", Putin ally said to be in touch with Kremlin, Assad before his mercenaries attacked U.S. troops. ARCHIVED; Posted: 6/10/2019 4:01:43 AM EDT Battle of Khasham Date: 78 February 2018 Location: near Khasham, Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria This video goes into the Wagner Group and Russian families who lost sons in the battle (duration 00:12:21). Gabidullin, whose hearing has suffered after years of fighting, also said he participated in the 2018 Battle of Khasham, where hundreds of Russian mercenaries were reportedly killed after US airstrikes against pro-regime forces, in what is believed to be the deadliest clash between Russia and the US since the cold war. The Battle of Khasham, also known as the Battle of Conoco Fields, was a military engagement of the Syrian civil war fought on 7 February 2018 near the towns of Khasham and Al Tabiyeh in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria. Marat Gabidullin has written memoir about fighting for Wagner because Russians should know mercenaries exist. [101][102], On 27 March 2018, U.S. officials, including U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis, said a contingent of pro-Syrian government forces and Russian "mercenaries" had again similarly amassed near coalition forces in Deir ez-Zor the week prior, but the potential confrontation was defused after the U.S. military contacted Russian officers. INDICTMENT: The Grand Jury for the District of Columbia charges: , Wagner's failed attack on US forces in Syria 'led by former Russian Marine officer', polygraph.info (3 October 2019) Russian News Accidentally Reveals Evidence of PMC Wagner in CAR, " ", "U.S. Airstrikes Kill 100 Russian and Syrian Fighters, Reports Say", "Pentagon Says U.S. Was Told No Russians Involved In Syria Attack", Department of Defense Press Briefing by Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White in the Pentagon: Briefing Room: Press Operations: Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White, Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System, "The Lion and The Eagle: The Syrian Arab Army's Destruction and Rebirth", "Struggle Between Russia, Iran For Control Over Syria's Centers Of Power", "Assad Appoints Pro-Russia General as Chief of Staff", "Syria says rare US strike an effort 'to support terrorism', Fifteen Russian security staff killed in Syria explosion: The incident at a weapons depot follows the reported deaths of scores of Russian mercenaries in a US-led coalition attack last week, " . [99], The Novaya Gazeta reported a Russian death toll of 13, while the ataman of the Baltic separate Cossack District, Maxim Buga, stated no more than 1520 died and that the other estimates were exaggerations. Its description of the clash near Khasham was reposted by Grey Zone in subsequent posts. [127], On 15 October 2019, Syrian government forces entered the city of Manbij and its surrounding countryside, as US military forces started a withdrawal from the area,[128] which was completed by the end of the day. For fun", " 5 "", 2017 ", "Russian Paramilitaries Accused of Torture and Beheading in Landmark Legal Case Against Wagner Group", "Syria: NGOs file torture case against Russian Wagner fighters | DW | 15.03.2021", " : " ", "Former Russian mercenary lifts lid on secretive Wagner Group", " " " 400 ", "Russia touts essential role in Syria's advance against IS", "VIDEO: Russian Army intervenes in northern Hama, drives back Al-Qaeda militants", "Islamic State releases video it says shows two Russians captured in Syria", "The Russian captives who may link Syria, Ukraine and the Kremlin's fight against the opposition", "Kremlin distances itself from captured 'Russian soldiers' in Isis propaganda video", "Media: FSB tells family of Russian prisoner captured by ISIS in Syria not to cause stir", "Syria's 'ISIS Hunters' Offer $1 Million for Russian Hostages", 2 Russians Who Refused to Reject Jesus on Camera 'Almost Certainly' Killed by ISIS, , "Video Glorifying Russian Mercenaries in Syria Trends on YouTube", " ", "Syria declares victory over Islamic State in Deir al-Zor", "Isis dealt twin blows with loss of Deir ez-Zor and key Iraq border post", "Syrian Army resumes offensive to expel ISIS from large Deir Ezzor island", "Fears for the lives of about 150 citizens in besieged Hawija Katea of being shelled by the regime forces which started to advance towards it through water bridges", "ISIS mass surrenders large Deir Ezzor island, 250+ terrorists captured", "After an undisclosed agreement, the regime forces imposes their control over Hwyjet Katea' and tens of ISIS members surrender, the fate of about 150 civilians in it is unknown", "Russia negotiating the release of two nationals captured by IS", "+18: Russian-Trained Syrian Unit Eliminates Scores Of ISIS In Black Operation", " "" "" ", "Private military companies: Moscow's other army in Syria", "Russia's Putin stops at Russian military base in Syria", "Moscow-based think tank director: Russia's unexpected military victory in Syria", " ", " - ", "The clashes continue in the besieged circle within 3 provinces between the regime forces and their allies against ISIS The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights", "Syrian Army liberates 80 percent of ISIL's pocket in northeast Hama map", "Islamic State fighters move to Syria's Idlib, clash with factions, sources say", "Syria says rare US strike an effort 'to support terrorism', "U.S. dismisses fears of wider war after deadly Syria clashes", "Diplomats specify who was killed by an American strike ( , )", "Here's What We Know About The US Airstrikes That Killed Russian Fighters In Syria", "US-led coalition strikes kill pro-regime forces in Syria", "U.S. Airstrikes Kill 100 Russian and Syrian Fighters, Reports Say", , Wagner's failed attack on US forces in Syria led by former Russian Marine officer, "Pro-gov't ISIS Hunters release official statement after US airstrikes in Deir Ezzor". He was soon deployed to fight in Syria alongside the Russian army supporting President Bashar al-Assad, quickly rising to command one of Wagners five units there. [48] Additionally, a Russian military doctor, a leader of a PMC-linked paramilitary Cossack organization, and a source with ties to Wagner claimed 80100 PMCs were killed and 200 wounded. Mercenary groups are nothing to be ashamed of, they exist everywhere, but we lie about them, he said. As of late, many have been trying to make sense of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group mercenaries that have featured heavily in the battle for [114], Another mission they were charged with during the offensive was to secure the humanitarian corridor established by the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria that allowed civilians to leave rebel-held areas for government territory. [40] A second one was identified as a former soldier named Ruslan from Bryansk, currently employed as a "patriotic educator" in local schools. All rights reserved. Reporting by DER SPIEGEL shows that events were likely very different. [107], On 18 February 2018, the Syrian military launched an offensive against the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, east of Damascus,[108][109] and split the region into three separate pockets by 12 March. Russia claimed the clash was a result of American aggression. Wagner PMCs then reportedly launched an operation and during the night between 18 and 19 March, fully recaptured Mesraba. , "Several Russians killed in US airstrikes in Syria", " ", --, " " , Russians killed in clash with U.S.-led forces in Syria, say associates, . [95] A Russian military doctor, a leader of a PMC-linked paramilitary Cossack organization, a source with ties to Wagner and the Ukrainian SBU claimed 80100 PMCs were killed and 100200 wounded. I believe that war between Ukraine and Russia will be a complete disaster for Russia. Gabidullin said he had vaguely heard of mercenary deployments in Ukraine, quickly adding that a Russian invasion would be a fatal mistake. [37][38], On 13 February 2018, unclassified footage depicting the coalition's targeted airstrikes on a pro-government T-72 tank position and a reported Russian contractor artillery position in the Khasham area was released by the Department of Defense. The memoir also describes mercenaries day-to-day lives, including occasional looting, and his commanders missteps. He also pointed out that the Russian public proved completely indifferent to the losses suffered by the PMCs, believing that "these people are highly paid, and knew what they were getting into". A source with ties to Wagner and a Russian military doctor claimed 80100 were killed and 200 wounded [60][61] The issue gained additional sensitivity in Russia in view of the upcoming presidential election in March 2018. At this point, pro-government units were hit by air-strikes. They arrived at the village of Marrot, which is northwest of both Khasham and the nearby SDF base. [62] Three or four companies of Wagner PMCs were involved in the fighting. During one attack, a PMC was tortured to death by ISIL. [65] As government forces advanced, the pro-opposition SOHR reported that Russia demanded the release of the two captive PMCs during negotiations with the trapped militants. [90], Several days after the battle, various Russian groups started confirming a number of Wagner PMCs had been killed in the air-strikes. He first wanted to publish the memoir in 2020 but quickly withdrew his book after pressure from certain people. [23] When they arrived in Syria the PMCs received T-72 tanks, BM-21 Grad MLRs and 122 mm D-30 howitzers. [9] An expert on Russian security at the IIR, Mark Galeotti, said they served as "shock troops" alongside the Syrian Army.[25]. [91][92][93] A short-term deployment of two Su-57s to Syria was officially confirmed by the Russian defence minister Sergey Shoygu on 1 March 2018. "[5] Harrigian presented the U.S. strike as demonstration of the coalition's readiness "to prevent a resurgence of ISIS". [24] During the first Palmyra offensive, according to one of the contractors, the PMCs were used as "cannon fodder" and most of the work was conducted by them, with the regular Syrian Army, who he described as "chickens", only finishing the job. [14] The remaining 23 pro-government personnel, including 15 Russians PMCs, were not killed in the airstrikes, but instead caught in a booby-trapped explosion at an arms depot at Tabiyet Jazira. The tank itself was not firing on the SDF and the coalition, but other elements in the formation were. [46] On 17 February,[52] a Wagner leader, Andrei Troshev, was quoted as saying 14 "volunteers" died in the battle. On February 7, 2018, Wagner mercenaries and Syrian soldiers carried out an assault on a US special forces outpost near the town of Khasham, hammering the American position with artillery rounds as the Russians and Syrians advanced. [78] The pocket was cleared on 9 February. [57] At the same time, a Russian parliamentary official stated that the two had almost certainly been executed, presumably for refusing to reject their Christian Orthodox religion, reject Russia, become Muslims and join the militant group. It describes some of the mercenaries big battles, including two operations to liberate the ancient city of Palmyra. ", "Syrian government air strikes kill 71 and wound 325 in 24 hours, monitor says", "Syria forces ready for assault on rebel enclave", "Syrian regime forces cut Eastern Ghouta into three parts", Syria war: Thousands flee Eastern Ghouta as army advances, "Fears for the lives of civilians after the regime forces advanced in the southwestern pocket of the Eastern Ghouta under heavy fire cover", "Syrian troops cut major roads in suburbs of Damascus", " "" REX", "Syrian army celebrates as rebels quit most of their Ghouta stronghold", "The Latest: Syrian army says it has retaken eastern Ghouta", "East Ghouta officially under the Syrian Army's control after last militant convoy leaves Douma", "Western airstrikes unlikely to impact Assad's war machine", "Ukrainians fight and die among Russian Wagner mercenaries | KyivPost Ukraine's Global Voice", "Ukraine's SBU identifies chief instructor of Ukrainian unit at Russia's PMC Wagner", ": 11 , ", " . We have specialised skills that a normal army lacks.. Gripping his recently finished memoir, In the Same River Twice, the first published account of fighting for the secretive Russian mercenary outfit Wagner, Gabidullin said: I wrote this because I realised its time for our country to face the truth: mercenaries exist., At 55, hes an imposing figure, with his face and muscular arms covered in scars. [18][19][20][21] They were in the role of frontline advisors, fire and movement coordinators[22] and forward air controllers who provided guidance to close air support. Reporting by DER SPIEGEL shows that events were likely very different. [73], Ruslan Pukhov, the director of the Moscow-based Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies think tank, stated the usage of PMCs was one of the factors that contributed to Russia's victory in Syria. [125] Members of the Russian special forces were also present during the offensive. The battle of Khasham 2022-03-18 - On 7 February 2018, a large group of Russian-speaking Wagner fighters, working with a pro-Assad militia, launched an attack on a US-backed, Kurdish-controlled military base in Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria, where the Kurds had taken control of one of the countrys largest oil and natural gas fields. [21] Since September 2014, the U.S. had conducted military operations in Syria, primarily against ISIL forces as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. [19] Still, the second offensive also ended in a victory for pro-government forces. No casualties were reported on either side of the engagement. I suspect that there will be attempts by [Prigozhin] to discredit me. [60], In late October 2017, a video emerged on YouTube glorifying the PMCs actions in Syria. [70][71] News outlets also noted that Vladimir Putin abruptly cancelled most of his previously announced engagements scheduled for 12 and 13 February, his press service citing ill health, and instead had a secret conference with his top military chiefs;[72][73] he also had a telephone conversation with U.S. president Donald Trump on 12 February, with no details revealed. Troops in Syria: Mattis gave Putin "plausible deniability" for a military assault that went badly awry. This time, however, he decided to not hold back and found a brave publisher in the city of Ekaterinburg. [129] Subsequently, the Russian military started patrols between rebel and government-held areas in the Manbij district. [77] The following day, the Russian foreign ministry's spokesperson Maria Zakharova conceded that five Russian citizens might have been killed in the U.S. attack; she emphasized that they were not members of the Russian Armed Forces. Confronted with these accusations, Gabidullin said he never saw his comrades engaged in such acts but added that such crimes were to be expected given the groups current shadowy status. "What losses PMC Wagner suffered in Syria", "The Conflict Intelligence Team Versus The Kremlin", "Syrian army announces recapture of Palmyra from Islamic State", "Isis driven out of ancient Syrian city of Palmyra for second time", "Mysterious Russian private military group pops up again in media reports", "ISIS Hunters on the verge of liberating the strategic Al-Sha'er Gas Fields", "ISIL falls apart in northern Palmyra as Syrian Army troops liberate strategic gas fields", "Syrian man filmed being bludgeoned with hammer blows by 'Russian mercenaries', "Al-Sha'er gas field in Homs restarts production", " : "" ", "Investigators say man filmed beheading Syrian is Russian Wagner Group mercenary", "Russian mercenaries 'beat and beheaded Syrian man' in leaked video", "Russian Mercenaries Linked to Gruesome Syrian Torture and Beheading Video", "Man who filmed beheading of Syrian identified as Russian mercenary", "Russian Press Names Wagner Mercenary as Likely Perpetrator in Gruesome Syria Beheading", "One of the suspected Russian mercenaries who helped torture and execute a man in Syria is now reportedly teaching kids about patriotism in Bryansk", "Journalists say Russian mercenaries in Syria tortured, beheaded, and burned a deserter from Assad's army. [87][88] Following the statement, the foreign ministries of Belarus and Kazakhstan were reported to be checking if there were casualties among their countries' citizens, but stated they had no information to confirm that Belarusians or Kazakhstanis had been killed or wounded. The presence of the PMCs in Syria was first reported in late October 2015, almost a month after the start of the Russian military intervention in the country's civil war, when between three and nine PMCs were killed in a rebel mortar attack on their position in Latakia province. The United States explained the attack by stating that the pro-government forces had "initiated an unprovoked attack against well-established Syrian Democratic Forces headquarters" in the area, while coalition service members were "co-located with SDF partners during the attack 8 kilometers (5mi) east of the agreed-upon Euphrates River de-confliction line". [100] On 19 February, one of Wagner's leaders, Andrei Troshev, was quoted as saying 14 "volunteers" died in the battle. Post-Syria, Wagners notoriety has increased after reported operations in Central African Republic and Libya resource-rich countries in which Russia has strategic interests. Last week, the US-based Daily Beast claimed that Wagner soldiers are being moved from Africa, possibly towards Ukraine. [20] One week later, the PMCs, along with regular Russian troops, supported Syrian government forces in repelling a HTS-led rebel offensive north of Hama. [98], On 10 February 2018, a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone destroyed a T-72 tank of pro-government forces in an airstrike near the Al Tabiyeh gas field. [53][54] Initially, the Kremlin attempted to distance itself from the two,[55] while a brother of one of them accused the Russian government of rejecting them. WebThe battle of Khasham was February 7, 2018. ", "In Africa, Mystery Murders Put Spotlight on Kremlin's Reach", "Three Russians killed in Syria: pro-government source", "Up to Nine Russian Contractors Die in Syria, Experts Say", "How Many Russian Soldiers Have Died in Syria? [15] Some reports stated that the contracts with Damascus were established after Wagner lost the trust and financing of the Russian Defense Ministry in early 2016. [70] The same day, a Wagner representative notified the parents of one of the two that both had died in captivity. I am walking on a tightrope here, he said. The groups growing influence has also divided Mali and its European partners after the west African nation deployed Wagner fighters in December. Engel: U.S. They have grouped into 50-man tank-equipped units supported by Russian air forces. Although Wagner may serve as a deniable instrument of Kremlin policy, the PMC might have been inclined to take on side-jobs for its own profit. Putin's Secret Soldiers in Ukraine and Syria", "They fought for Palmyra again: Russian mercenaries killed in battle with ISIS", "After inflicting heavy losses on the regime forces, ISIS restore its stronghold in Hama and the regime desperate to retake Uqayribat", "The media reported the death of another soldier PMC Wagner in Syria". [66][67][68] Meanwhile, Russia's government-run news agency TASS acknowledged, with reference to a Cossack organisation, the death in a battle near Deir ez-Zor of a Russian "volunteer", sotnik Vladimir Loginov, a resident of the Kaliningrad Region.