Amendments to the law legalized the participation of Russian mercenaries in military operations abroad. Recruitment of soldiers for private military companies (PMCs) is already underway — and for operations not only in Syria.
A few weeks ago in a social network “Vkontakte” there was an announcement.”Guys, there is an option to work at Home!” reads the first line. Salary “based on” — 50 thousand rubles a month, “output” — from 80 thousand rubles, plus bonuses. This translates to between 700 to 1150 euros. The ad ended with the words: “Good fight, soldiers of fortune!”
Posted the ad calls himself Ilya Ivanov. His work is the recruitment of fighters for the PMC, so-called private military companies. And much indicates that in recent days, it greatly succeeded in forming a private army. He is looking for men who are ready for the money in 2017 to defend Russian interests in the new battlefields.
Ivanov is not the only recruiter, which is now gaining fighters, but perhaps one of the most experienced. In 2014 he wrote on his page “Vkontakte” he is looking for people who are ready to “link their fate with the adventures in hot countries”. Then, the public still knew nothing about Russian soldiers in Syria and the activities of Elijah were illegal. For the recruitment of mercenaries he faced up to eight years of imprisonment. Now everything has changed.
A little-known amendment to the law
Two days before the end of 2016, President Vladimir Putin approved the governmental amendments to the law “On military duty and military service”. In the Russian state media the event was not lit, the Western media also left a change in the law without attention. Meanwhile, the implications of these changes are great. Now, according to the law, the citizens being in the reserve, are considered to be performing duties of military service, if they participate in activities “to suppress international terrorist activities outside the territory of the Russian Federation”.
Since many men in Russia held military service, the amendments to the law affect almost all Russians. Now if they are fighting the terrorists, they are considered soldiers, even if not officially belong to any part of the Ministry of defense. In other words, changes in the Law on military service allow the use of Russian mercenaries around the world and legalized the activities of PMCs. 9 January 2017 the law came into force.
Blackwater is one of the most famous private military companies, which, among other things, performed partly criminal tasks for the US army, for example, in Iraq. When the actions of Blackwater became known to the public, unleashed a global debate about the legality of such firms. Do not stay aside and Russia. So, RT asked the question in their materials, for example, “Private military companies: a new method of warfare?”
However, today, when this issue has affected their own country, the Pro-Kremlin media are silent.
How to operate PMCs legal? How are recruiters like Ivanov? To respond to the ad, ZEIT ONLINE creates “Vkontakte” fake account Paul Nikulin. Paul, 27 years old, he works as an electrician in Volgograd. In 2010 and 2011, he was serving as a driver-mechanic T-72 tank.
The conversation with the recruiter
Pavel Nikulin exists only as a virtual social network. His biography and a fake profile “Vkontakte” help to know the details of the recruitment and training members of the PMC. Nikulin and Ivanov exchanged in a social network a few messages and twice call on the phone.
Nikulin: Hello, my name is Paul. I’m here about the ad “Vkontakte”.
Ivanov: I got it to work. Paul, tell me, what citizenship you have?
Nikulin: Russian.
Ivanov: Well, finally. So. Military ID is? At the office anyone?
Nikulin: the Driver-mechanic tank.
Ivanov: Great! Look, Paul. Let me tell you first thing.
Ivanov says that the tank “like hot cakes”. In addition, we need doctors, engineers and competent communicators. Also looking for pilots — they are out of the competition. All other applicants must first pass tests and provide documentation. Most important, it is the most difficult condition is the presence of the passport and lack of credit and a criminal record.
Whether Ilya Ivanov true name of the recruiter, you never know for sure. However, two other sources who were trying to get fighters in PMCs confirmed ZEIT ONLINE, which also spoke with Ivanov. In addition, Ilya is in detail described the path and the terrain at the test site, home of the PMC. Matching the description fact later confirmed its own source ZEIT ONLINE.
According to Ivanov, the base for training fighters PMC is located near the village of Molkino in Krasnodar territory. Before the Ukrainian Donetsk place about 500 kilometers to the Russian resort of Sochi, about 250 kilometers. In 2015 on the ground in Molkino was upgraded, which spent more than 50 million rubles. Officially Molkino deployed three military divisions: 1st guards missile brigade (in/h 31853), the 10th separate brigade of special purpose GRU of the defense Ministry (in/h 51532), and 243-y of the General polygon (in/h 55485).
© AP Photo, Gervasio Sanchez, FILEНаемники Blackwater in Iraq
Legally PMCs existed in Russia before. The most famous are the Moran Security Group and “RSB Group”. Like Academi, the American company’s successor, the Russian company offered services in the field of security consulting and armed defense and protection. Although the company refused to respond to a request ZEIT ONLINE, on their official websites that they claim are not engaged in mercenary activities and do not participate in hostilities abroad. The General Director of the company, the “RSB group” Oleg Krinitsyn in conversation with the newspaper “Fontanka” said that before his company does not attempt to send anyone to Syria, but the presence of such proposals he would be willing to discuss them.
Dmitry Utkin and PMC Wagner
A former employee of Moran Security Group and later founded his own PMC, which is called “the Wagner Group”. We are talking about Dmitry Utkin — he’s Wagner. Utkin served in the GRU, after the dismissal worked under contract with the Moran Security Group, guarded court in hazardous areas pirate attacks. After the dismissal in the fall of 2013 of about 250 “contractors” was in Syria. Six months after the Syrian trip has created so-called “Group of Wagner”, which participated in the fighting in Eastern Ukraine and later in Syria.
In December 2016 Utkin appears even at a reception on the occasion of the heroes of the Fatherland Day in the Kremlin. Among the invited heroes of the Soviet Union and Russia Utkin was one of the few guests who are of such high merit had. The fact that Utkin still invited to a celebration, would seem to indicate that the soldiers of PMC Wagner performed an important operation in Syria for the Russian army.
Ivanov said that the PMC Wagner fighters gathering in Molkino. Those who tried to get into the PMC, said in a conversation with ZEIT ONLINE that the entrance tests are easy enough. Everyone needs to perform simple standards for physical training: pushups, pullups, running a hundred metres and three kilometres, the Cooper test and fire training. The one who made it through, stays at the base training, which typically lasts two months.
Adopted in PMC fighters sign the contract at least six months, says Ivanov. However, he said that the contract is conditional, the “two pages”. “On the first page is written “not to tell”, on the second page “read what is written on the first page,” laughs Ilya.
Preparing for the next battle
Recruitment and training ground in Molkino raise questions. For any combat missions looking for Russian mercenaries? How cooperating military units that are stationed in Molkino, PMC Wagner? And why was changed the law “On military duty and military service”? The press service of the Russian defense Ministry did not respond to a request for ZEIT ONLINE. The explanation for the legalization of mercenaries could be seen in specific relations of domestic and foreign policy of the Russian President.
Since Vladimir Putin came to power, he supported her through war. First, the Second Chechen war, 2008 war with Georgia, then Ukraine, and in 2015 — participation in the war in Syria.
All military actions, regardless of whether they began at the Russian initiative or not, Putin used for domestic rating. Due to the positive performance of the army and military successes of the Pro-government media in Russia, grew up patriotism and pride of country and its President. In addition, with the help of production of weapons, it was possible to maintain a weakened domestic economy. Moreover, when the country involved in the war, the problems like corruption no longer seem so significant. All this could also play an important role, if abroad, there will be new conflicts with the participation of Russia.
Ukraine, Syria And Afghanistan?
However, it is not so simple. The first hitch connected with people. Putin now difficult to find enough people for full warfare, says Stefan Meister (Stefan Meister), a Russian expert at the German society for foreign policy. According to him, Russia is currently involved in two conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, which requires many soldiers and weapons. Even if you consider that in 2008 the troops were upgraded, their resources are not unlimited.
Meister considers that it is likely that in 2017 Russia will enter into new military conflicts in addition to the existing ones. First of all, on the background unleashed by Donald trump in the struggle against international terrorism, a new team of mercenaries can help in this process, he says. With the mercenaries conclude another contract than conscripts, because they will hire private military companies. According to Maister, it will be easier to prevent public access to this information. Especially often this problem has arisen in the Ukraine, where the government had to explain why among the dead “volunteers” were Russian military. If the PMC soldier is killed, the defense Ministry can easily challenge their involvement.
The second problem is associated with possible locations of fights, where you fight the PMC soldiers.
Nikulin: This is Syria, it turns out?
Ivanov: This is an old topic. Now would be… can’t say, think, guess: in the 1980s the army was there. Understand? There is also the Sands and the mountains. It means that the peacekeeping operation is the protection of ambassadors, etc. Even give you a medal for the feat. But no more of glory, because on TV you won’t light up.
Afghanistan? Besides Syria, Ukraine, and unstable regions like Libya, Russia maybe in 2017 to intervene in the conflict in Afghanistan. But the negative image that is associated in Russian society with the losses in Afghanistan, sits deep. Says Maister, this image is comparable to the “Vietnam trauma” of the United States. Today, even with the support of the propaganda machine will not be able to persuade the Russian population to participate in ground operations in Afghanistan.
The main thing — money
“Today in Afghanistan are only technicians and instructors that are required, in particular for the technical support of Russian helicopters,” says Meister. So, in January 2016 signed an intergovernmental agreement to assist the Afghanistan military-technical assistance.
“If NATO in 2017 withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, then Russia can really be afraid from the fact that terrorism will spread throughout the country. The Taliban can greatly destabilize the Central Asian neighbors of the Russian Federation, and it is a real threat, including to Russia,” — says Meister.
Most of the contenders in the PMC don’t care where they are sent to fight. Most importantly — money. According to Ivanov, the prices in the PMC is as follows: 50 thousand rubles during the training, from 80 to 120 thousand “output” plus bonuses. By Russian standards, is a lot of money. “Tank burned — design. Understand? Any firing point scored, more money is received, if the commander confirmed,” explains Ivanov.
