[89] Similarly, the SOHR activist organization reported that the Russian PMCs, who were accompanying government forces as they advanced towards the SDF-held oil and gas fields, were killed at Al Tabiyeh. strike. [39], A Russian independent media report identified one of the perpetrators as Stanislav Yevgenyevich Dychko,[40] a confirmed operative of the Wagner Group[35][36] who previously worked for the Russian Interior Ministry. [131], In mid-January 2020, tense standoffs started with US troops blocking Russian military vehicles from using the M4 highway in northeastern Syria. However, the ISIS Hunters also said they would execute 100 captive militants for each of the Russians if they were killed by the jihadists. In Ukraine, Wagner had fought a low-intensity All rights reserved. [90], Several days after the battle, various Russian groups started confirming a number of Wagner PMCs had been killed in the air-strikes. [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. [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. [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. 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, " . [80][81], On 16 February, Viktor Alksnis said that the preliminary figure of Russian fatalities in the strike, based on information from the relatives and friends, stood at 334, mainly the personnel of the 5th storm squadron; he also said that, according to his information, personnel of Russia's Special Operations Forces were also involved in "the raid" on 7 February. [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. [18][19], The U.S. military stated that one hundred Syrian pro-government fighters were killed in the U.S. attack, prompting Syria to accuse the United States of carrying out a "brutal massacre" of its troops and Russia to accuse the U.S. of being economically motivated in its actions, citing nearby oil fields. Syrian Army 1 links Land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. No Its description of the clash near Khasham was reposted by Grey Zone in subsequent posts. 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. We, in Russia, prefer not to discuss our mercenaries, he added. Engel: U.S. [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. [56], Subsequently, the Syrian ISIS Hunters unit pledged to pay one million dollars for the release of each of the captive Russians. Hamdi Bouta) from Deir ez-Zor, of being a jihadist for wanting to desert. Troops in Syria: Mattis gave Putin "plausible deniability" for a military assault that went badly awry. ", "More Russian Fighters from Private 'Wagner Group' Die in Syria", "Russia's Wagner group fighters sighted in Syria", "Revealed: Russia's 'Secret Syria Mercenaries', "How a secret Russian airlift helps Syria's Assad", "Moscow denies IS captives are Russian soldiers", "Russia Deploys a Potent Weapon in Syria: The Profit Motive", "Thousands of Russian private contractors fighting in Syria", "A Russian Blackwater? The groups were quickly pushed back. [79], At about 10pm, 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. 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. 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. WebAccording to reporting by The New York Times, the Battle of Khasham began as a convoy consisting of 27 vehicles and 500 Russian and Syrian troops advanced towards an During the clashes, U.S. aircraft attacked Syrian troops, killing 45 to 100 government fighters. WebThe battle of Khasham was February 7, 2018. [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. [31] A publication by the Ukraine-based anti-Kremlin InformNapalm alleged the operation had been cleared with the Russian military command by Sergey Kim, the chief of Wagner's operations department and a former Russian Naval Infantry officer. Post-Syria, Wagners notoriety has increased after reported operations in Central African Republic and Libya resource-rich countries in which Russia has strategic interests. The Syrian government's dependence on these ground forces for territorial control, a consequence of severe manpower shortages in the Syrian military[40] gave Iran significant influence over it, to the extent that Russia and Iran had to increasingly compete for control and influence over the Syria government. Following the successful conclusion of the offensive, during which 32 of the contractors were reportedly killed and about 80 wounded, the PMCs were withdrawn between April and May 2016, and they surrendered all of their heavy weapons and military equipment. Established in 2014 to support pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, Wagner is allegedly funded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a powerful businessman closely [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. Marat Gabidullin holding his memoir, In the Same River Twice. , "Several Russians killed in US airstrikes in Syria", " ", --, " " , Russians killed in clash with U.S.-led forces in Syria, say associates, . 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). [20], In September 2014, the United States began to undertake efforts to establish a global coalition with the declared aim of countering the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. [67][68] However, the two PMCs were still prisoners. [50][64] Irek Murtazin of Novaya Gazeta and analyst Yury Barmin speculated that the Russian Ministry of Defence may have wittingly let the Wagner unit find itself in harm's way. Two Russian companies received contracts under this policy by this time, with one employing the Wagner Group to secure those sites from the militants. [20][30], A few days before, Prigozhin had been indicted by the grand jury for the District of Columbia on charges related to the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. 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, "Pompeo Boasts About U.S. By their account, [41][42] Der Spiegel's report did not indicate whether this formation was under Iranian or Syrian command or what attempt, if any, Russia made to force the Syrian and Iranian governments to comply with these U.S.Russian agreements. [123] The ground offensive was launched on 6 May, after a week-long aerial campaign against rebel territory,[124] with pro-government troops managing to capture two major towns within three days. [11] As unconfirmed accounts of casualties among Russian Wagner Group mercenaries in the strike emerged, the incident was billed by media as "the first deadly clash between citizens of Russia and the United States since the Cold War". I thought to myself, Enough, its time to get out of the shadows. I will not be dissuaded from publishing again. According to the US, the incidents took place deep inside territory patrolled by their military and the Kurdish-led SDF. [ARCHIVED THREAD] - Battle of Khasham. [134], As of early February, PMCs were posted at the frontline in the Al-Ghab Plain of Hama province. Web(video request) Battle of Khasham Memba when Russian Mercenaries were advancing on US/CIA backed Syrian fighters and they got wiped out. The military claimed that, according to intercepted radio traffic, the groups were partly ISIL and partly Kurds, and retreated towards the Conoco factory. [99][100], On 2 March 2018, at least two pro-government fighters were reportedly killed by coalition air raids near Khasham. "[47], In mid-September 2017, the PMCs helped Syrian troops[48][49] to capture the town of Uqayribat from ISIL in the central Hama province. In what became known as the Battle of Khasham, US Special Forces embedded with [29] The ISIS Hunters were one of the leading units[30] during the capture of the al-Shaer gas fields from ISIL in late April 2017. [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. The Operation Inherent Resolve coalition delivered air and artillery strikes on Syrian Armed Forces and pro-government militias after they reportedly engaged a U.S The memoir also describes mercenaries day-to-day lives, including occasional looting, and his commanders missteps. [115] The whole Eastern Ghouta region was captured by government forces on 14 April,[116][117] effectively ending the near 7-year rebellion near Damascus. The groups growing influence has also divided Mali and its European partners after the west African nation deployed Wagner fighters in December. Reporting by DER SPIEGEL shows that events were likely very different. [96], On 12 April 2018, outgoing U.S. Central Intelligence Agency director Mike Pompeo, during his Senate hearing for the position of the United States Secretary of State, commented, "This administration announced a nuclear posture review that has put Russia on notice that we are going to recapitalize our deterrent force. However, the SDF later retook the villages, with local sources claiming coalition aircraft bombed pro-government positions in response. On Feb. 7, 2018, 500 pro-government Syrian troops, including Iranian-trained Shia militiamen, along with Russian military contractors began their attack on Wagner PMCs then reportedly launched an operation and during the night between 18 and 19 March, fully recaptured Mesraba. [121], As of the end of November 2018, the PMCs were conducting very few combat missions. [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. ? [130] It was thought that Wagner PMCs were involved in the taking over of an abandoned US military base in the area, due to the confirmed presence of a Russian journalist who was known to regularly follow the contractors. [71], At the end of November, Russia announced plans to withdraw some of its troops from Syria by the end of the year. Throughout the conversation, Gabidullin looked somewhat agitated, his piercing blue eyes darting around the empty cafe. [48] Syrian government forces took complete control of the city by 3 November. [12] Later, a Defense Ministry source told RBK TV that the FSB was also directing the PMCs. [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. [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.
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