Collapse of Islamic State in Syria (Feb. Nov. 2017), Syrian War spillover and international incidents, Foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war, Political ramifications in Russia and abroad, 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, American-led intervention in the Syrian civil war, List of United States attacks on Syria during the Syrian civil war, Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections, Eastern Syria campaign (SeptemberDecember 2017), Iranian involvement in the Syrian civil war, Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war, "Rare U.S. strike on pro-government forces kills scores of fighters". [44], In March 2021, human rights lawyers from three nongovernmental organizations representing the killed person's brother filed a lawsuit in Moscow against six Wagner Group PMCs accused of the killing. Engel: U.S. [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. In Syria, now, a handful of weeks ago the Russians met their match. [120] Belarusians were also said to be among Wagner's contractors. [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. Gabidullin said he had vaguely heard of mercenary deployments in Ukraine, quickly adding that a Russian invasion would be a fatal mistake. The PMCs were accompanying government forces as they advanced towards the SDF-held oil and gas fields. The films, which Gabidullin dismissed as trash, portray heroic Russians saving local people from violent rebels. [98] A Russian journalist believed between 20 and 25 PMCs died in the strikes,[93] while similarly CIT estimated a total of between 20 and 30 had died. WebThe Wagner Group (Russian: Syrian civil war Battle of Khasham: 7 February 2018: 1464 killed (confirmed) 80100 killed (estimated) 100200 wounded: The Ukrainian SBU claimed 80 were killed and 100 wounded, naming 64 of the dead. The Wagner Group is trained at Russian Defense Ministry bases, and the groups leaders have received awards in the Kremlin, but Russia downplayed its involvement in the engagement thats come to be known as the Battle of Khasham. Russia claimed the clash was a result of American aggression. [60][61] The issue gained additional sensitivity in Russia in view of the upcoming presidential election in March 2018. [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". [33] Subsequently, the PMCs were in charge of guarding the refineries, with ISIL occasionally making attempts to retake the fields, each time being beaten back. [72] On 11 December, Putin declared victory against "terrorists" during a visit to Russia's Khmeimim air base in Syria. Itar-Tass Russian News Agency v. Russian Kurier, Inc. Between 40 and 60 were reported killed and between 80 and 180 were wounded. [2], Similarly, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 68 pro-government fighters were killed during the day in the area,[14] including 45 who died in the coalition airstrikes,[43] with most being Syrians. [34], In early July 2017, a video emerged that showed Wagner PMCs bludgeoning a man who was initially believed to be a captured ISIL militant in the Palmyra area, with the person being beheaded after. Post-Syria, Wagners notoriety has increased after reported operations in Central African Republic and Libya resource-rich countries in which Russia has strategic interests. [49], Contrary to the claims of hundreds of deaths among the PMCs, a Russian investigative group, the Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT), confirmed 10 contractor deaths[50] and estimated a total of between 20 and 30 had died. [96][97] The SBU further named 64 of the PMCs. [2], As with the deconfliction line, the Syrian government itself never officially agreed to this limit but due to its dependence on Russia, the Syrian Army had nevertheless been, by and large de facto adhering to both; the Iranian government also never joined either of these two bilateral U.S.Russian agreements. [80][81], A Russian newspaper, citing Russian military and contractor sources, reported pro-government forces were attempting to capture the Conoco (locally called Al Tabiyeh) gas field from the SDF. US carries out missile strike on Iranian building in Syria It was posted on July 7 on a Russian language website used by current and former members of the shadowy Russian Wagner Group. [12] According to sources in Wagner, cited by news media as well as the Department of Defense, U.S. forces were in constant contact with the official Russian liaison officer posted in Deir ez-Zor throughout the engagement, and only opened fire after they had received assurances that no regular Russian troops were in action or at risk. -57, "Pompeo Boasts About U.S. [58][59] This claim was questioned by the CIT, who pointed out that there had been no reports of this effect from the militants' sources. Syria Liwa Fatemiyoun (Afghan Shia militia)[1][2] Liwa Zainebiyoun (Shia Pakistanis)[2], Foreign intervention in behalf of Syrian Rebels. [14] Later, it was revealed that the company would receive 25 percent of the proceeds from oil and gas production at fields its PMCs captured and secured from ISIL. [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. 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? The ancient ruins of Palmyra in Syria after intense battles in 2016 in which Wagner is said to have taken part. Last week, the US-based Daily Beast claimed that Wagner soldiers are being moved from Africa, possibly towards Ukraine. 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. Concurrently, another group of Syrian tribal militia and Shia fighters began to advance north toward Khasham from Tabiyet Jazira, a Syrian government-controlled town east of the Euphrates that is significantly closer to Khasham (and the nearby the SDF base) than Marrot. [110][111], As of 17 March, 82 percent of Eastern Ghouta was captured by the Syrian Army. [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". Reporting by DER SPIEGEL shows that events were likely very different. The Americans knew exactly where we were, he said, recalling those events. [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. [47] Yevgeny Shabayev, a known critic of the company that hired the contractors, also claimed 218 PMCs were killed and that the families were still waiting for their remains. However, the SDF later retook the villages, with local sources claiming coalition aircraft bombed pro-government positions in response. [8], Furthermore, according to a few Wagner fighters, they were flown to Syria aboard Russian military transport planes. [118], In March, an anonymous senior commander of the Wagner Group was quoted as saying that there were five Wagner companies operating in Syria, as well as The Carpathians (Russian: , romanized:Karpaty) company attached to Wagner, composed mainly of Ukrainian citizens. The memoir, based on events Gabidullin claims he witnessed, follows three years of Wagners Syrian campaign. It describes some of the mercenaries big battles, including two operations to liberate the ancient city of Palmyra. Scores of Wagner soldiers are believed to have fought and died in Syria since the conflict began in 2011. We have specialised skills that a normal army lacks.. Der Spiegel reported no Russians were in either formation; yet there was a small contingent of Russian PMCs stationed in Al Tabiyeh, who were not participating in the fighting. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 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. [131], In mid-January 2020, tense standoffs started with US troops blocking Russian military vehicles from using the M4 highway in northeastern Syria. Gabidullin, whose hearing has suffered after years of fighting, also said he participated in the 2018 Battle of Khasham, where hundreds of Russian mercenaries were reportedly killed after US airstrikes against pro-regime forces, in what is believed to be the deadliest clash between Russia and the US since the cold war. WebRT @esotericneolib: This is such a good point, Wagner is truly the most formidable fighting force on the planet and has proven themselves time and again in Africa, Ukraine, and the [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. [20][65], On 12 February 2018, Grigory Yavlinsky called on President Vladimir Putin to present an account of whether any Russian military forces had been involved in the battle. [132][133] In early February, vehicles carrying Russian contractors were also blocked by US troops on the highways. [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. [101][102], On 27 March 2018, U.S. officials, including U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis, said a contingent of pro-Syrian government forces and Russian "mercenaries" had again similarly amassed near coalition forces in Deir ez-Zor the week prior, but the potential confrontation was defused after the U.S. military contacted Russian officers. American Fury: The Truth About the Russian Deaths in Syria: Hundreds of Russian soldiers are alleged to have died in U.S. airstrikes at the beginning of February. According to the US, the incidents took place deep inside territory patrolled by their military and the Kurdish-led SDF. While Gabidullins memoir challenges the official narrative regarding the existence of mercenaries in Russia, a separate PR campaign also sprung up last year to promote the activities of groups like Wagner. [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. Prigozhin and Moscow have denied any knowledge of Wagner; officially, private military companies remain illegal in Russia. Almost half a dozen incidents took place towards the end of the month. [54][55], In the wake of the incident, in the absence of any official comments in response to allegations about Russian fatalities, details about Russian citizens' involvement and casualties in the U.S. strike began to be made public through social and mass media, provoking resentment and outrage from sections of the Russian public. [53], Russian newspaper Kommersant, citing Russian military and contractor sources, reported pro-government forces were attempting to capture the Conoco (locally called Al Tabiyeh) gas field from the SDF. In 2015, Gabidullin, a Russian airborne forces veteran and former bodyguard, joined Wagner, at the time a relatively unknown mercenary group. [90], Several days after the battle, various Russian groups started confirming a number of Wagner PMCs had been killed in the air-strikes. The Russian armys achievements in Syria were largely because of the mercenaries sacrifices. Wagner PMCs then reportedly launched an operation and during the night between 18 and 19 March, fully recaptured Mesraba. [107], On 18 February 2018, the Syrian military launched an offensive against the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, east of Damascus,[108][109] and split the region into three separate pockets by 12 March. Troops Staying In Syria To Counter Assad, Iran, "PMC Wagner chief: 14 were killed in Syria", Putin ally said to be in touch with Kremlin, Assad before his mercenaries attacked U.S. troops. [4][12][5], According to the U.S. military, the presence of U.S. special operations personnel in the targeted base elicited a response by coalition aircraft, including AC-130 gunships, F-22 Raptor and F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets, MQ-9 Reaper unmanned combat aerial vehicles, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, and B-52s bombers. However, the ISIS Hunters also said they would execute 100 captive militants for each of the Russians if they were killed by the jihadists. The memoir, based on events Gabidullin claims he witnessed, follows three years of Wagners Syrian campaign. Compared to its influence over the Syrian government, the Russian government had significantly less influence over Iran's government, military, and proxies in Syria, which constituted a large portion of pro-Syrian government ground forces in both Deir ez-Zor and throughout Syria.[40]. I thought to myself, Enough, its time to get out of the shadows. I will not be dissuaded from publishing again. [89][105], As of late March, the PMCs remained in the same area and were using local pro-government troops to scout coalition positions. Broadening its reach outside of the Middle East, Wagner has shown itself to be a threat to transnational security. Instead, they were stationed at facilities and it was stated that during the past summer a company trained for three months at a base, 70 kilometers from Deir ez-Zor, for riot control. It was determined to conduct operations that would bring the government forces of Bashar al-Asad to heel at the Battle of Khasham. In 2018, U.S. forces and U.S.-backed militias from the Kurish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), controlled the Conoco gas field near the town of al-Tabiyeh in eastern Syria. Its description of the clash near Khasham was reposted by Grey Zone in subsequent posts. They can only whisper it.. He pointed out that Russia managed to remove the need for deploying large numbers of ground forces by bringing in the Russian PMCs who, unlike American PMCs who were usually only in support roles, were used as highly capable assault troops and that they were often embedded with Syrian units to increase their fighting ability.