PMC Wagner fighters in Syria are working first

Some time ago, the General Intelligence Department (Fishermen) Russian General Staff after the aggravation of the international situation, increasing the number of hot spots in the world to create a private military company, known as “Wagner group”, writes Namig Huseynov in Azerbaijan edition AZE.az.

About this group said in the investigation of the Russian RBC Media. The investigating agency said, what “Wagner group” oversees the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, RBC reported sources in the Defense Ministry and the FSB.

Camp “Wagner group” It is located in a remote area of ​​the Krasnodar Territory Molkino, which deployed 10 separate brigade of GRU Spetsnaz. Base became operational around the middle 2015 of the year. Information about the owner of the land in the public domain is not, but several neighboring areas are decorated in the territorial department of the Russian Defense Ministry of Forestry.

“On average, in 2015-2016 the Defense Ministry spent on the military unit 14,7 million rubles excluding classified contracts. Some of the open tenders won firm, associated with the St. Petersburg restaurateur Eugene Prigogine, who is known as a businessman, close to the Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Fontanka” I wrote, that in the last two years “Wagner” He moved to Russia, accompanied by people, working on Prigogine. businessman company - one of the largest suppliers to the Defense Service. evidence, they financed PMCs, RBC has not found. Whether the group is provided by the camp of the same public procurement, that GRU camp on the same basis, unknown”, – said the investigation.

its activities “Wagner group” the beginning of summer in Syria 2015 of the year, shortly before, the fall 2015 , Russia officially started to deploy its bases. Situated near the Latakia and Aleppo almost 2,5 thousand, led operation officers of the GRU and the FSB. AT 2016 at the same time the year were from Syria 1000 to 1600 employees of private companies, depending on the climate of tension.

sources RBC, familiar with the details of operation, claim, that the major loss of the Russian side in Syria carries it private military company (PMC). Defense Ministry employee told RBC, that only in the Middle East were killed 27 fighters. A former officer of PMC said a minimum of 100 dead.

A big role in the liberation of the historical districts of the Palmyra played PMCs soldiers, He told the agency the former officer “Wagner group”.

“First work guys Wagner, then part of the Russian land come, then the Arabs”, – he said. According to him, squad “Wagner” used mainly for the offensive in difficult areas.

money to the soldiers “Wagner group” paid in cash, officially, they were nowhere to be decorated, and weapons and equipment purchases secret. According to sources RBC, expenditure undertaken by the state and unnamed “senior businessmen”. A source, familiar with the details of the military operation, points, PMCs that a fighter can count on 80 thousand rubles a month at a base in Russia and to 500 thousand plus bonus - in the zone of fighting in Syria. Russian Defense Ministry officer claims, that the fighter salary in Syria rarely exceed 250-300 thousand rubles.

Mercenaries in Russia banned, and participation in armed conflicts in other countries is a criminal offense. Attempts to legalize PMCs have so far not resulted in, but after the events of the Crimean 2014 of the year, during which worked well GRU unit, in this issue, according to RBC, there is a breakthrough. Due to the appearance in the "group of Wagner's" Media Communication Information, based at the Ministry of Defense discussed Molkino translation for "privateers", eg, in Tajikistan, Nagorno-Karabakh or Abkhazia. The interlocutor of the agency in the Russian Defense Ministry assured, that the company will not disband.

A source