What a Wagner private military company. “People need to know the truth”: the ex-fighter spoke about the service in the Wagner PMC
In our wonderful post-perestroika century, entrepreneurship is not only developing at a gigantic pace, it is crushing ever new spheres of influence. As soon as we got used to private medical clinics, the so-called LLCs that develop medicines and medical equipment appeared, followed by the Security and Investigation LLC. Now private military companies in Russia are trying to get legal status. Legally they do not exist, but there are few people who would not know about their existence. Despite the fact that only for “just serving” in PMCs you can earn 7 years in prison instead of a lot of money, and for campaigning to join any of these companies or for teaching military skills to recruits there, you can get as much as 15 years, young people scour the Internet in search of information, how to get into PMC. Why such a gap in the views of the government and the people? What illegal actions dangerous to society are committed by members of PMCs? Why are these companies so attractive to young people that they are willing to risk their freedom and even their lives just to get there? Let's try to figure it out.
How PMCs arose
I must say that private military companies in Russia are far from know-how. Back in 1967, in conservative and respectable England, David Sterling, a colonel in the British army, formed the first unit of mercenaries who served (or worked, as you like) in a private company that did not grow flowers at all. Prior to that, David Sterling created the best SAS special forces in the world, which was mainly engaged in reconnaissance and hostage release, and also actively participated in armed conflicts. The real colonel called his new brainchild Watchguard International. Its members were deployed in the Middle East and Africa for various military purposes.
Further, PMCs began to appear in America, France, Israel, in all countries where this was regarded as the norm. In the United States, for example, the number of volunteer mercenaries has tripled in three years. Members of PMCs took on any difficult and life-threatening work, participated in hostilities, for example, in Angola. Even the UN used their services.
In 2008, seventeen countries signed the Montreux Document, which stipulated the duties and rights of PMC members, plus regulated their practice in hostilities. That is, private military companies abroad have long been legalized. Their existence is recognized as useful to society, since PMCs are able to perform the most extraordinary tasks, and in addition, they reduce the death of conscript soldiers in the regular army.
Status of PMCs in Russia
Private military companies in Russia, or rather their prototypes, began to appear during the perestroika period - the glorious times of permissiveness and impunity. True, then these spontaneous groups resembled the current PMCs only in that their composition included strong, healthy men who did not disdain any “truly masculine” work and the fact that they were paid for it.
But little by little the situation in the country was put in order, which also affected military groups. Now these are well-coordinated teams, the leadership of which strives not to violate the basic principles of the law. Yes, and they take there no longer just anyone, if only there was strength in their hands, but men with an adequate psyche, who had no criminal record and are not registered anywhere.
Over and over again, attempts are being made in the government to finally adopt a law on PMCs, that is, to legalize what is already obvious. The last such attempt took place in the spring of 2016, when Oleg Mikheev and Gennady Nosovko (both are members of A Just Russia and are not members of the PMC) submitted a draft on the ChVOO (a private military security organization) to the Duma, but the Duma decided to postpone the issue until better times, and Nosovko withdrew his project for revision. The main argument for the government's refusal is the contradiction of the law on PMCs with Article No. 13 (part 5) of the Constitution, although the draft included a clause prohibiting PMCs from participating in armed conflicts.
Finally, in December 2016, the government made a Solomon decision - to legalize the activities of employees in PMCs, but the private military companies themselves are still left with bird rights. This half legalization looks like amendments to the law on conscription. As soon as the president signs them, it will be possible to conclude short (for a month) or long-term (for a year) contracts to participate in the fight against international terrorism and to establish peace and security in any country where it is necessary.
The scope of Russian PMCs
Private military companies in Russia, according to knowledgeable people, are engaged in very useful activities:
Protect individuals;
Accompany convoys with valuable cargo;
Ensure the safety of people working in places where the political situation is unstable;
Help to eliminate panic and restore order in emergency situations (for example, terrorist attacks);
Protect important objects of any orientation (oil rigs, platforms, gas pipelines, oil refineries, civil airports and seaports);
They escort ships in areas where pirates operate;
Engaged in military intelligence;
Provide various (according to their profile) services to state bodies;
Help the population in disaster areas (earthquakes, tsunamis and others);
Participate in humanitarian aid.
This list does not include the item “conducting military operations”, although there are many witnesses, of course, who do not give their names, that PMCs also take part in military operations. The most recent examples are Donbass and Syria. There is no documentary evidence of this, there are only guesses of journalists and behind-the-scenes conversations, and there are also crosses on the graves, where only the service number of the fighter is indicated and nothing more. Even the relatives of the deceased PMC members refuse to comment on the death of their loved ones and say that provocations are being staged against them.
Why is the "Wagner Group" so secret
There are a lot of rumors about this PMC, in the mess of which there are grains of truth. So, it is known for certain that the infamous "Slavic Corps" became its prototype. This PMC was officially registered, however, not in Russia, but in Hong Kong, and consisted not of the Chinese, but of the Russians (who had previously served in SOBR, VDV, GRU). The "Slavic Corps" did not hide its intentions and openly posted recruitment announcements, promising a salary of 5,000 USD. They recruited people to guard facilities in Syria. They also guarded the oil fields in Deir ez-Zor. For this purpose, the soldiers were given anti-aircraft guns (caliber 37 mm), PM-43 mortars without mines, three BMP-1s (one inoperative), two BM-21s with rockets without fuses. With such a wonderful weapon, the PMC, being on the march, was attacked by a gang of ISIS. With great difficulty, with the support of an attack aircraft and two Akatsiya installations, the PMC managed to retreat to the Tifor airbase, where they took up defense.
The meticulous employees of Fontanka are trying to find more compromising evidence and convict the "Wagner group" of hostilities on Syrian soil. But if these soldiers really fought against ISIS there, they would deserve not accusation, but respect. A pack of non-humans who call themselves the "Islamic State" are doing such atrocities, from which the blood freezes in the veins. Their destruction of the great monuments in Palmyra is the smallest evil they have brought to the world. According to some reports, there were about 400 Wagnerites in Syria. They took part in the liberation and demining of the beautiful city of Palmyra, for which the Russian Ministry of Defense established two medals. How many fighters of Dmitry Utkin's grouping died there, only members of his PMC know. In the late spring of 2016, the Wagnerites were withdrawn from Syria. There were only repairmen left. But on August 1, D. Utkin was again seen near a Russian helicopter shot down in Idlib.
What to say? The commander of the private military company PMC "Wagner Group" is back in action.
How many PMCs in Russia
There are other private military companies in our country, not only the Wagner Group. Among them:
There are many other PMCs in Russia, more or less well-known and completely secret.
How is the recruitment in the PMC
On the forums on the Internet, you can see the questions of young guys about where they accept PMCs. Some even ask for the exact address. Since these companies are officially banned, you can get there only through the patronage of those who have a connection with them. Such information is not publicly disclosed. It is known that only Russian citizens are taken there (Utkin, being a Ukrainian, accepted Russian citizenship), and preference is given to those who have special military training. Other admission criteria:
Absence of any chronic diseases and health problems;
Good physical training;
Unburdened by the bonds of marriage;
No convictions.
Work in PMCs entails mainly a good salary (although everything in life is relative). So, according to some reports, if missions take place on their native land (escort, security, and so on), they pay at least 80 thousand rubles a month. Now you can earn that kind of money in any reputable company. For missions abroad they pay up to 500 thousand rubles. For example, in Syria, the salary was 300 thousand rubles. per month. For comparison: in Iraq, PMC Academi fighters received from 600 to 1000 c.u. e. per day. If an employee of a Russian PMC is wounded, he is paid a penalty, the amount of which depends on the severity of the injury. If he is killed, his family can hope for compensation of up to 5 million rubles.
Pros and cons of PMCs
Many people believe that private military companies are needed in Russia. Their advantages:
The ability to employ former military personnel who are not able to adapt in civilian life;
Reducing losses in the army among conscripts;
Creation of military bases in any country of the world;
Income to the state treasury;
Resolving complex issues (for example, kidnapping abroad) without violating international law;
Reliable protection of important strategic facilities;
Assistance in solving national security issues;
The opportunity for the country to protect its interests without open hostilities;
Higher efficiency compared to the regular army.
Counterweight for the armed forces;
The inability to fully exercise state control over PMCs;
The high cost of PMC services;
The emergence of armed groups in the country that the state is unable to control;
Lack of transparency of contracts concluded by PMCs;
Initiation of PMCs into state secrets;
Fears of a certain part of the population (representatives of big business) that legalized PMCs can become a threat to their activities in the face of paramilitary mercenaries blindly fulfilling an order.
PMC commanders with Vladimir Putin
Related Articles
-
from blogs
The most beautiful villages in Russia: the village of Desyatnikovo in Buryatia, where the Old Believers of Transbaikalia live
The village of Desyatnikovo, Buryatia Desyatnikovo is a village in the Tarbagatai district of Buryatia, which four years ago entered the "Association of the most beautiful villages in Russia." Recently I managed to walk along it quite a bit. In fact, while most of the group was saying goodbye to the hospitable hostesses who received us, they ran away along one of its streets to look at the elegant houses. Desyatnikovo village, Buryatia...
26.03.2020 10:03 34
-
from blogs
Disappearing suburbs: Leninskaya station in Domodedovo. Russian Railways is selling a unique station at Avito for 10 million rubles
The station building at Leninskaya station in the Domodedovo city district (Paveletsky direction of the Moscow Railway) is not only a vivid example of the Stalinist Empire style of the mid-50s and an architectural monument, but also recognized as a cultural heritage site of Russia of regional significance. It was unexpected to see an advertisement for its sale on the Avito website. The platform and the first station building were built here in 1900…
22.03.2020 14:02 38
-
from blogs
How the Orenburg hardware plant was destroyed
The Orenburg plant was one of the largest enterprises that existed on the territory of the USSR. The plant is now closed. The history of the plant begins in 1943. The company specialized in the production of radio equipment, which was used for defense needs. But the plant also produced consumer electronics, for example, various radios. At that time, advanced technologies were used for production. In the early nineties, the company...
20.03.2020 11:03 46
-
from blogs
How the Russian province lives: Rybinsk. City of destroyed buildings
Red Square in Rybinsk The population of Rybinsk is rapidly falling every year. Since 1991, it has decreased by almost 30% and continues to decrease. And this is not surprising: the city, although a fairly large regional center, is not very comfortable. Here, for example, looks like Red Square, the central one in the city. The building on the right is ruined and covered with a grid. I was in Rybinsk...
8.03.2020 11:40 60
-
from blogs
My congratulations - not an empty sound! My congratulations - holy! It is for you - our eternal hero, our Protector in the form of a soldier! And may the conquered world keep, Its holy serenity, And may all the people, the whole world give you: Love, gratitude and tenderness! In Russian history, February 23 is celebrated as the Day of the Soviet Army and Navy ...
23.02.2020 10:57 440
-
from blogs
Unpromising regional center. The railway first gave birth, and then destroyed the provincial provincial town
Station Arsenievo Unpromising village, unpromising village, unpromising village, then unpromising city, unpromising region, and, finally, the country? Recently, I talked about my impressions of a visit to the Pskov region, and I was extremely upset by what I saw there. At some point, I thought that the reason was solely in the not very favorable location of the region. But it's not that. Fast forward half a thousand kilometers ...
11.02.2020 11:42 60
-
from blogs
Devastation in Russian villages - what our country has sunk to
In every city, village, village in Russia there is a city-forming enterprise. Only in some villages such enterprises are still successfully functioning and people work for them. But in some - turned into a looted monument of architecture. The factory in Kamyshevo is impressive in size - three floors. This is what happened with the felting factory in the village of Kamyshevo, which is located ...
Society
from blogs
I visited a village where people are not allowed into the forest. I learned about Putin's new law on aviary hunting
Our country continues to move along the path of wild capitalism, which we used to read about in the fairy tales of Soviet and foreign writers and could not imagine that we would find ourselves in the same conditions as the characters in these works. On my channel, I write about life between the city and the countryside. I am often reproached that I don't know how...
7.03.2020 20:51 110
Alternative opinion
from blogs
Maybe we should return censorship to children's literature?
Children's book of the 70s. Excerpts from E. Onegin with illustrations that look more like paintings ... The other day I had a chance to visit the children's literature department of a bookstore. Picked up a birthday present for my daughter. While my daughter was choosing a book as a gift for her friend, I walked through the rows lined with books for children. We have a large library at home, and in ...
17.02.2020 12:49 42
Society
from blogs
How to get rid of old doctors? Just make them work on the computer. Brad at the level of the law
There are very often in our country: officials like to cover their mercantile goals with care for the people. The CME or continuing medical education program, hated by all physicians, was no exception. This program is a rare nonsense, from which all doctors spit, without exception. If you go to the official website of this program, then you can find anything on it, but not answers to the main questions. What…
11.02.2020 21:05 102
Society
from blogs
We have forgotten how to produce even gauze masks. What advances in medicine can we talk about?
A cup from a bra as a means of protection is better than nothing at all In the midst of an epidemic, it is extremely important to provide the population with personal protective equipment. After all, any disease is much easier to prevent than to deal with its consequences later. Especially when it comes to an infectious disease. In such a difficult time, the production of ordinary disposable masks can save a huge number of lives of citizens, and significantly reduce the economic consequences of the epidemic for the state. But…
8.02.2020 22:59 203
Wagner's private military company is outlawed in Russia. They don't talk about it on state channels. But its fighters, apparently, died in the Donbass and now in Syria.
The names of eight Russians killed in Syria have been found out and made public by the activists of the Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT), as well as the Mediazona publication. They allegedly died on February 7, 2018 under the blows of the international coalition forces on the positions of the Syrian army in the vicinity of the settlement of Hisham.
The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of five Russian citizens in Syria, noting that they are not members of the Russian army. The dead, most likely, were fighters of the so-called private military company (PMC) Wagner. Journalists and activists have collected a lot of information about her bit by bit over the past few years.
What is PMC Wagner
The Wagner Private Military Company or the Wagner Group is an unofficial military organization that is not part of the regular Russian armed forces and does not have any legal status. The military units of PMC Wagner numbered - at different times and according to various sources - from 1350 to 2000 people. According to sources in the German newspaper Bild in the Bundeswehr, the total number of mercenaries reaches 2,500 people. Officials in Russia deny the existence of PMC Wagner. The Kremlin only admits that privately, Russians can participate in hostilities abroad. Mercenary activity is prohibited by article 359 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, however, proposals are being made in the State Duma and the Russian Foreign Ministry to legalize private military companies in Russia.
Where did Wagner's mercenaries fight?
PMC Wagner grew, as it is believed, from the military company "Slavic Corps", which carried out combat missions in Syria back in 2013. The future head of the PMC, Dmitry Utkin, call sign "Wagner", also belonged to the "Slavic Corps". The first evidence of the activities of PMC Wagner was recorded by the Ukrainian special services in May 2014 in the Donbass. In October 2017, the head of the SBU of Ukraine, Vasily Hrytsak, announced the involvement of the "Wagnerites" in the destruction of the military transport Il-76 in eastern Ukraine in June 2014, the storming of the Donetsk airport and the fighting near Debaltseve. There is no independent confirmation of this information.
Since the second half of 2015, evidence of the activity of Wagner PMCs has appeared only in Syria. It is believed that its fighters, in particular, actively participated in the first and second assaults on Palmyra in 2016 and 2017. Since June 2017, the goals of the mercenaries, as reported by the Russian media RBC and Fontanka, have changed. "Fontanka" wrote that the Russian Ministry of Defense has sharply reduced the supply of weapons to PMCs, transferring only obsolete samples.
Allegedly, PMCs were offered to receive funding in Syria itself, including through the capture and protection of oil and gas fields. In this regard, it is noteworthy that the attack in the area of the Syrian village of Husham, allegedly with the participation of "Wagnerites", was carried out in the area of an oil field and, according to some information, was aimed at capturing it.
According to the British BBC, since the end of 2017, traces of Wagner PMCs have been seen in Sudan.
Private army fighters: who are they
The recruitment of mercenaries, judging by the information about the dead, was going on throughout Russia. Many of those killed in Syria had previous experience of fighting in eastern Ukraine. This is confirmed by both relatives and acquaintances of the dead mercenaries. According to the Ukrainian SBU, there are 277 people who fought in both "hot spots".
Recruitment of private military personnel appears to have been not limited to Russia, but also among the residents of separatist-controlled parts of eastern Ukraine. According to the SBU, as of October 2017, 40 fighters with Ukrainian passports served in the Wagner PMC. Similar information, without specifying exact figures, was previously cited by several Russian media outlets.
How they accept and how much they pay mercenaries
Mercenaries hired by PMCs sign a non-disclosure agreement. The St. Petersburg publication Fontanka reported the most details about the work of PMC Wagner, which claims to have some of the company's internal documentation. Referring to published copies of documents, Fontanka claims, in particular, that all applicants fill out questionnaires with personal information, a photograph, undergo a polygraph test and receive from 160,000 to 240,000 rubles a month for their work.
Ruslan Leviev, founder of the Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT), an activist group that monitors the actions of the Russian military in Syria, clarifies that salaries depend on skills, goals and the location of the operation. During training in Russia, according to CIT, the salary ranges from 50 to 80 thousand, during foreign operations - 100-120 thousand, in the event of hostilities - 150-200 thousand, in the case of special campaigns or major battles - up to 300 thousand .
Where do mercenaries train?
The "Wagner Group", according to numerous testimonies, trains at a military base near the Molkino farm in the Krasnodar Territory, directly adjacent to the 10th separate brigade of the GRU special forces of the RF Ministry of Defense (military unit 51532). There is no information about other training points.
Where did Wagner come from and what are Prigozhin's interests
Dmitry Valeryevich Utkin "Wagner", born in 1970, is considered the head of the private military company of the same name. Apparently, he took up this activity after his dismissal from the post of commander of the 700th separate special forces detachment of the 2nd separate special forces brigade of the GRU, stationed in Pechory, Pskov region. A copy of the report on his dismissal is on the Web. Nothing is known about its authenticity, but there were no denials either. In 2016, Utkin was seen at a special reception in the Kremlin for the military, who distinguished themselves by special heroism. Since June 2017, Utkin has been under US sanctions, the list of the US Treasury states: "Associated with Wagner's private military company."
One of the sources of funding for PMCs in the media is called secret items of expenditure of the Russian Ministry of Defense, as well as businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He is also called "Putin's cook". As RBC found out, Yevgeny Prigozhin participated in several tenders to ensure the maintenance of the base of the Wagner group. Prigozhin himself, who is also under US sanctions, denies any connection with the Wagner PMC. There is only circumstantial evidence of his involvement. Since the winter of 2016-2017, the Russian company Evro Polis LLC has become interested in the development of gas and oil fields in Syria. According to RBC and Fontanka, she is affiliated with Prigozhin.
In the summer of 2017, Euro Polis entered into an agreement with the Syrian state concern that it would be engaged in the protection and extraction of energy resources at local fields and receive at its disposal a quarter of the volume extracted from those towers that it recaptured from ISIS militants, AP reported with reference to for a copy of the agreement. Security functions, it is believed, should be taken over by Wagner PMC fighters.
Losses among mercenaries
The calculation of losses among the "soldiers of fortune" is complicated for a number of reasons: this is the illegal status of the PMC and its fighters, and the company's lack of accountability to government agencies, and a non-disclosure agreement. As a result, the relatives of the victims often find out about the incident only after a few weeks. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation refuses to record losses among mercenaries.
In October 2017, the SBU provided data on 67 dead, who had experience of military operations both in the Donbass and in Syria. As of December 2017, the Fontanka journalists estimated the total number of established casualties since the beginning of the participation of mercenaries in hostilities in Syria at 73, the CIT team at 101 people. Until now, there is no information about the fate of the alleged Wagner PMC fighters Roman Zabolotny and Grigory Turcanu who were captured by ISIS.
The data on losses after the shelling of pro-Assad units by the forces of the international coalition in the vicinity of Hisham on February 7, 2018 also differ: figures are given from 11 dead and more.
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 the Wagner PMC.
“Only a small number of instructors and military advisers,” Russian officials keep saying that there is no need for a ground operation in Syria.
These claims about the low cost of the Syrian conflict for Russia can be seriously questioned by the story of two young people who argue that Russian involvement in Syria is much larger and at a cost that the Putin administration is unlikely to be willing to acknowledge.
The interlocutors told reporters that they were recruited by the private military company Wagner to serve in Syria and were taken there on board a Russian military transport aircraft.
For the equivalent of £3,000 a month, these men were thrown right into the thick of the fighting against rebel groups, including the Islamic State.
Two of this group, Dmitry and Alexander, told reporters that they were happy only because they were alive.
“About 50/50,” says Alexander (not his real name). “Those who go there for money tend to die. Those who go to fight for an idea, to fight against the Americans, their special forces, have a better chance of surviving.”
“Approximately 500-600 people died there,” Dmitry says. “No one will ever know about them… It's a 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 do not fall into their number - 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 warfare".
“Obviously, Wagner exists. This kind of "volunteers" appear in the zones of various conflicts, where the Russian government wants to be represented. First Crimea, then Donbass, and today Syria. And they are all there illegally,” he adds.
They accuse the Russian authorities of hiding this information.
“Did anyone tell you about this? Sometimes the bodies are cremated, and the documents say “missing”, sometimes the papers say that the soldier was killed in the Donbass, and sometimes they write - a car accident or something like that,” says Alexander.
Dmitry claims that the number of Russian losses in Syria is in the hundreds.
“Sometimes they burn it, sometimes they don't,” he says. “Often it’s just a hole in the ground. A lot depends on how commanders treat the dead soldier,” he adds.
Dmitry has already returned to Moscow, but experiences still haunt him. When he was recruited by Wagner, he handed over his papers. He went to the training base to look for them, but ended up with the police instead. The officer told him in no uncertain terms that "Wagner never existed."
Dmitry said he knew about 50 other Syrian survivors who, like him, roam the streets of Moscow without documents.
“No one knows me. He just threw me out,” says Dmitry.
If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.
Reedus correspondent Anna Dolgareva met with a Donbass veteran who fought in Syria as part of the Wagner PMC.
The controversy still rages on about deaths of Russians from the strike of the US military in Syria. The citizens of the Russian Federation who died there were not in the official service in the Russian army - they worked in "private military company Wagner" In fact, they were mercenaries. Many of them fought in the Donbass before joining the PMC and being sent to Syria. With one of these "soldiers of fortune", who had already returned to civilian life, the correspondent of "Reedus" managed to talk. 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 as simple as naming the number of the token, but then they will immediately understand who opened up. I could give the names of my colleagues, but then it’s easier to introduce yourself… It turns out that it’s up to you to believe me or not.
Well, how did you get into Wagner PMC?
- They called friends, signed a contract and went. Combat experience at that time was from the Donbass.
What exactly was written in the contract?
- The contract is concluded with the firm "Europolis". She is unofficially "PMC Wagner". A non-disclosure paper is signed for a period of 5 years. Under this paper, you are forbidden to say anything about the company and its connection with Wagner.
At the same time, 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, oil workers, builders, consultants for the restoration of the SAR infrastructure.
The next item is the next of kin. They are contacted in the event of the death of a fighter. They also receive compensation for the deceased. In a security company, compensation is up to 3 million rubles, in assault detachments - up to 5 million rubles for the deceased .
Then - a clause on the voluntary refusal of state awards: medals, orders and crosses. (Our interlocutor could not answer the question why this was necessary, but experts made it clear that such a waiver was signed so that there would be no material evidence in case of capture or death with loss of the body. - Approx. "Reedus".)
The last clause of the contract 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 won’t show you the contract itself, it’s impossible to take a picture of it - SB checks the phones at the exit.
What sanctions were provided for violation of the terms of the contract? For example, for disclosure?
- Sanctions were not spelled out in the contract, so I can’t say what kind of punishment we are talking about.
But you do understand that you are violating the terms of the contract? Why are you telling us this?
“I think people should know the truth.
And Molkino - what is it?
- Farm Molkino near Krasnodar. There is also a Wagner base.
Do they pay a lot?
- When I signed the contract, the amount was 240 thousand rubles. In fact, they subsequently received 150 thousand plus bonuses from 30 to 100% of the salary, depending on the combat missions performed.
Did they fall on a bank card or could someone from your relatives receive them for you?
— Salary was received at the box office, in cash. But relatives could also receive it, at the base in Molkino. Those who wanted the money to immediately go to their relatives wrote a power of attorney in their name.
And how do they get there, in PMCs?
- Through acquaintances mostly. That's what my friends suggested. Such word of mouth. Many who have traveled through the Donbass are aware of the ins and outs of all this.
PMC fighter Maksim Kolganov, who died in Syria, is in training at the tactical shooting range in Molkino / Fontanka.ru
Are there any strict requirements for the selection of people?
— Now the recruitment conditions have been softened. When I quit, a huge crowd gathered around me - about sixty people. At first they tried, of course, to take people with experience, but an increase in losses made it necessary to soften the selection and row everyone in a row. And, in fact, it affected the quality of replenishment.
A vicious circle turns out: an increase in losses, a set of less combat-ready replacements, hence again an increase in losses ... But in general, the percentage of deaths is high?
- In regards to losses - in our country, almost every third fighter was "cargo 200" (killed) or "300" (wounded). All because of the constant attacks in the forehead.
Dmitry Utkin, aka Wagner / Fontanka.ru
Were you forced to go to the frontal?
- 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, everything in general, from the word "absolutely". Well, ours were often blown up by booby traps. Mined objects were picked up and again undermined.
Even the "spirits" left cartridges stuffed with plastid or TNT. As a result, when firing, the machine gun was torn in the hands ...
What combat missions did you perform?
- Yes, just go ahead. Frontal, as I said.
Did they give you any preparation before that?
- Yes, there was training, at the base in Molkino. A month and a half. It all came down to sapper business, tactics, military field medicine and control firing.
youtube.com
Can you tell us about any memorable fight?
- Yes ... We then stormed a small mountain range near Deir ez-Zour, after breaking the defense line of which a road to the Euphrates and a small city opened on the right flank of Deir ez-Zour ... I don’t remember the name, but the place itself is still in front of my eyes costs.
We advanced on several Urals. After five kilometers, they were forced to unload from the cars and line up in marching columns. After another three kilometers of foot march, they came into fire contact, the heavy squad turned around and began to work.
Soon there was a big bang - it was us, as it turned out later, that we burned the T-62 tank. Well ... in general, that's all. There was nothing particularly heroic about it. We took that ridge ...
Here, according to the interlocutor of Reedus, the “frontal” battle of the “Wagnerites” in question took place / yandex.maps
Here's something else to say. What is your motivation to fight there? For money, for Russia, or for what else?
- If in the Donbass they fought for an idea, then everything there comes down to money and does not smell of any idea. At least for me it is.
Are there many of those who fought in the Donbass? Why did they go to fight then in Syria?
— Yes, I had a lot of guys with me who went straight from the Donbass to Syria. With whomever I spoke, everyone says the same thing: there are no full-scale combat in the Donbass, but in Syria the war is burning to the fullest and the money is being paid.
It is hard to fight when there is neither war nor peace. I'm talking about the Donbass. Well, people are leaving from there to Syria.
We worked there almost every day. The breaks were small - to replenish ammunition, to rest a little, no more than two or three days ...
Everything is fine. Only one thing but: to return from there alive, the chance was 30-40 percent.
Volunteers in Donbass, 2014 / youtube.com
Have you seen it yourself, the death of the guys? Do you have a lot of comrades died in the unit?
- Yes. A lot of good guys died. The score goes to dozens, if we talk about those whom I knew personally. Recently, two very close friends lay down in the fifth squad, as a result of a recent disaster. and the complete destruction of the fifth detachment.
Please tell us about the destruction of the fifth detachment. How many people died there in general, what did your friends tell you about this?
- About the destruction of the fifth detachment, I do not undertake to name specific figures, because I was not there. A friend of mine is fighting there now, and, according to his wife, he is alive. That's when he arrives, then he will shed light on the truth.
But those sources that now exist in the person of Igor Strelkov and Mikhail Polynkov can be trusted, I think, since Strelkov himself has many associates in Wagner who served and still serves.
One of the PMC soldiers killed in Syria
But if such a catastrophe, then why is there not a single photo, not a single video?
- Yes, because there is nothing to shoot! I don't have any photos from there either. They did not take phones with them, they were confiscated before sending.
Well, let them seize it, you already talked about the control of the Security Council. But then where are the photos of “Wagnerites” from Syria found in the media and social networks?
- Some were smarter, bought on the spot.
Clear. What are your plans for the future? Are you going to return to fight in the Donbass?
- Yes. It's dragging on. If the massacre begins, I will return.
Anna Dolgareva
Subscribe to us
