2 min read. [29] Three other Wagner commanders also stated the claim of 200 dead was an exaggeration and that 15 PMCs were killed at the most. [103], On 29 April 2018, pro-government forces launched an assault against four SDF villages on the Euphrates, initially capturing them. [45][46] In December 2021, the Council of the European Union sanctioned Utkin for the killing, stating in a resolution that "According to a former member of the Wagner Group, Dimitriy Utkin personally ordered the torturing to death of the deserter as well as the filming of the act. Ismail had fled Syria earlier in the war for Lebanon, before returning in 2017, after which he was arrested and forcibly conscripted into the Syrian military. [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. [2] At the time, Russia and the United States had an agreement that no more than 400 pro-Syrian government fighters could be in the Syrian-government controlled salient on the river's east bank. [citation needed], On 11 May 2018, the coalition stated that SDF units responded to artillery fire from an unknown source on the outskirts of Deir ez-Zor; the SDF returned fire, leading to the destruction of one enemy artillery piece. [71], At the end of November, Russia announced plans to withdraw some of its troops from Syria by the end of the year. [60], In late October 2017, a video emerged on YouTube glorifying the PMCs actions in Syria. 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. Reporting by DER SPIEGEL shows that events were likely very different. Established in 2014 to support pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, Wagner is allegedly funded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a powerful businessman closely linked to Vladimir Putin who has faced western sanctions. [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. 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. [88], According to Germany's Der Spiegel, the ferocious American response was primarily triggered by a unit of Syrian tribal militia and Shiite fighters moving from the town of Al Tabiyeh towards Khasham, concurrently with another group of pro-government forces that had crossed the Euphrates River near the Deir ez-Zor Airport advancing towards Khasham from the village of Marrat. Killing "a Couple Hundred Russians" in Syria", Russian reporter Borodin dead after mystery fall, U.S. airstrike destroys Russian-made tank used by pro-Syria forces, "U.S. drone destroys Russian-made tank in Syria", "At least two fighters of Assad forces killed due US raids on their location by Khasham town", "After brief buildup, pro-Syria government forces move away from U.S. troops", "SDF returns fire after surprise artillery attack near Deir al-Zor: Coalition", "Syrian Democratic Forces Return Fire in Self-Defense", Background and causes of the Syrian Civil War, Syrian government reactions to the Syrian civil war, Inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian civil war, Cities and towns during the Syrian civil war, Sectarianism and minorities in the Syrian civil war, Syrian Desert campaign (December 2017present), Humanitarian aid during the Syrian civil war, Human rights violations during the Syrian civil war, Civil uprising phase of the Syrian civil war, Early insurgency phase of the Syrian civil war, International reactions to the Syrian civil war, Relations between Syrian government and Kurdish groups in Syria, Al-Hasakah Governorate campaign (20122013), Rif Dimashq offensive (Nov 2012Feb 2013), Battle of Tell Hamis and Tell Brak (DecJan), East Ghouta inter-rebel conflict (AprMay), September Urum al-Kubra aid convoy attack, Turkish military operation in Idlib Governorate, Syrian Liberation FrontTahrir al-Sham conflict, Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party Syria Region, National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change, International demonstrations and protests, First Northern Syria Demilitarization Deal, Second Northern Syria Demilitarization Deal, Fourth Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, International recognition of the Syrian National Council, Ambassadors of Russia to the United States, Ambassadors of the United States to Russia, Consulate-General of Russia, New York City, Consulate-General of Russia, San Francisco, Permanent Mission of Russia to the United Nations, Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. [96][97] The SBU further named 64 of the PMCs. In Ukraine, Wagner had fought a low-intensity The clash on February 7, 2018, was sparked by a pro-Assad regime force, including mercenaries from Russia's Wagner Group, advancing on an outpost manned Its description of the clash near Khasham was reposted by Grey Zone in subsequent posts. [44], Shortly after the strikes, various Russian unofficial sources began to publicize information that a number of Russian "volunteers" (PMCs) had been killed in the strikes,[3][45] with some posts on Russian social media making claims of over 200 Russian PMCs being killed, although the veracity of this information was questioned[46] and could not be confirmed. Throughout the conversation, Gabidullin looked somewhat agitated, his piercing blue eyes darting around the empty cafe. At this point, pro-government units were hit by airstrikes. AH-64 Apache attack helicopters played a key role in the Battle of Khasham, helping to annihilate a combined force of hundreds of Syrian soldiers and mercenaries from Russias Wagner Group. US Army photo by Maj. Robert Fellingham. Russian state television recently screened numerous patriotic action movies produced by Prigozhin-linked firms, depicting unnamed Russian military instructors and volunteers fighting in eastern Ukraine, Central African Republic and Mozambique places where Wagner fighters have reportedly been active. No casualties were reported on either side of the engagement. A pair of U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles flew over northern Iraq on Sept. 23, 2014, after conducting airstrikes in Syria. [32][33][34], According to the U.S. military's official statement, around 10 p.m. local time on the night of 7 February 2018, a force of 500 pro-government fighters consisting of local militiamen, Syrian Army regulars, Shia militants from Liwa Fatemiyoun and Liwa Zainebiyoun, and reportedly Russian private military contractors, launched an assault on a SDF headquarters near Khasham. The Wagner group certainly has distinct interests in Syria, since its service contracts there are ultimately paid by the Syrian state, not Russia, through a complex The memoir, based on events Gabidullin claims he witnessed, follows three years of Wagners Syrian campaign. 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. WebOn 7 February 2018, the U.S.-led coalition, established in 2014 to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), delivered massive air and artillery strikes on the Syrian Furthermore, the SOHR stated they were not killed in the air-strikes, but instead in a booby-trapped explosion at an arms depot. [26] This intent was, in mid-January 2018, clearly broadcast by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who said the Trump administration would maintain an open-ended military presence in Syria to counter Iranian influence and ensure the departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Wagner publishes details on US air strikes during Battle of Khasham. [15][16][17] The Russian Ministry of Defence's statement, released on 8 February 2018, referred to the incident at the village of Salihiyah (located south of the SDF-held town of Abu Hamam in the Abu Kamal District) and said that it was caused by reconnaissance actions of Syrian militias that had not been cleared with the Russian operations command; the statement stressed that there were no Russian service members in the "designated district of the Deir ez-Zor province of Syria". [23][24][25] In November 2017, the U.S. government made it known that they were expanding their goals in Syria beyond routing ISIL forces, to pressure the Syrian government to make concessions at the Geneva talks. [94][95] Earlier, Komsomolskaya Pravda military correspondent Viktor Baranets[ru] was cited as saying that according to his information, the Su-57s had done "excellent" work carrying out their mission in Eastern Ghouta. He first wanted to publish the memoir in 2020 but quickly withdrew his book after pressure from certain people. Commandos Unfolded in Syria", News Transcript: Department Of Defense Press Briefing by Lieutenant General Harrigian via teleconference from Al Udeid Airbase, Qatar: Press Operations: Lieutenant General Jeffrey Harrigian, commander, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, "Did U.S. and Russian Troops Fight Their Bloodiest Battle Since World War I in February? During one attack, a PMC was tortured to death by ISIL. [85][86], On 20 February 2018, the Russian foreign ministry released a statement which, while admitting that there had been citizens of Russia and "countries of the CIS" killed and wounded in the course of the "recent clash" in Syria, claimed that no Russian service members or their materiel had been involved in any way. 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. [2] Contrary to what was widely reported at the time, Der Spiegel later reported that according to witnesses, no Russian mercenaries were part of this formation. [27][28], Russia had been conducting air military operations in Syria in support of the Syrian government since 30 September 2015. At about 10 pm, local time, on 7 February 2018, a battle began near the Syrian town of Khasham in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate, between pro-Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led SDF, supported by the U.S. military. Basically some American operators and local Syrian allies were holding a position outside Khasham that guarded the route to some They have grouped into 50-man tank-equipped units supported by Russian air forces. Hamdi Bouta) from Deir ez-Zor, of being a jihadist for wanting to desert. In 2015, Gabidullin, a Russian airborne forces veteran and former bodyguard, joined Wagner, at the time a relatively unknown mercenary group. , "Several Russians killed in US airstrikes in Syria", " ", --, " " , Russians killed in clash with U.S.-led forces in Syria, say associates, . It was reported that to avoid potential security losses, Russia would fill the void with private military companies, including Wagner. In Syria, now, a handful of weeks ago the Russians met their match. [114] By 23 March, the SOHR put the number of those who left rebel areas or remained in two towns seized by government forces at 120,000, while the UN stated 50,000 had left the besieged areas. 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. 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". Russia claimed the clash was a result of American aggression. [76], On 14 February, presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov admitted the possibility that some Russian citizens who were not part of Russia's armed forces were in Syria, but dismissed reports of mass casualties as false. [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. He said he worried about the consequences of publishing his book and was eager to avoid mentioning his alleged former boss, Prigozhin. [10] Their equipment was delivered to Syria via the so-called Syrian Express,[11] a fleet of Russian military and civilian merchant ships that had been delivering supplies to Syria since 2012. Exclusive: Russian mercenaries The PMCs were accompanying government forces as they advanced towards the SDF-held oil and gas fields. ", "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? [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. [110][111], As of 17 March, 82 percent of Eastern Ghouta was captured by the Syrian Army. WebO Grupo Wagner (em russo , transliterado Grupa Vagnera) uma organizao paramilitar de origem russa.. O Grupo Wagner descrito como sendo uma empresa militar privada, uma rede semioficial de mercenrios e/ou um exrcito privado [19] com fortes ligaes ao governo russo que atua em vrias regies pelo mundo, More importantly, it does not suit the dead mercenaries parents and relatives, who cannot even talk openly about how their son or brother died. Troops in Standoffs With Russian Military Contractors in Syria", "Russian military at front-lines in northwestern Syria: photos", "Russia's Shadowy Mercenaries Offer Humanitarian Aid to Clean Image", ": "", "Supported by Regime forces | Wagner and Fatemiyoun launch military campaign against ISIS in Syrian desert The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights", "Syrian Revolution 12 years on | Nearly 614,000 persons killed since the onset of the revolution in March 2011", Background and causes of the Syrian Civil War, Syrian government reactions to the Syrian civil war, Inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian civil war, Cities and towns during the Syrian civil war, Sectarianism and minorities in the Syrian civil war, Syrian Desert campaign (December 2017present), Humanitarian aid during the Syrian civil war, Human rights violations during the Syrian civil war, Civil uprising phase of the Syrian civil war, Early insurgency phase of the Syrian civil war, International reactions to the Syrian civil war, Foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war, American-led intervention in the Syrian civil war, Relations between Syrian government and Kurdish groups in Syria, Al-Hasakah Governorate campaign (20122013), Rif Dimashq offensive (Nov 2012Feb 2013), Battle of Tell Hamis and Tell Brak (DecJan), East Ghouta inter-rebel conflict (AprMay), September Urum al-Kubra aid convoy attack, Turkish military operation in Idlib Governorate, Syrian Liberation FrontTahrir al-Sham conflict, Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party Syria Region, National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change, International demonstrations and protests, First Northern Syria Demilitarization Deal, Second Northern Syria Demilitarization Deal, Fourth Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, International recognition of the Syrian National Council, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wagner_Group_activities_in_Syria&oldid=1151030199, Articles with Russian-language sources (ru), Articles containing Russian-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 21 April 2023, at 13:37.
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