Posted on 12/12/2017 7:59:08 AM PST by BenLurkin
... Fontanka reported that about 3,000 Russians under contract to the Wagner group have fought in Syria since 2015, months before Russia’s two-year military campaign helped to turn the tide of the civil war in favor of Syrian President Assad... ...
The Russian Defense Ministry has said 41 of its troops have died in Syria. But according to Fontanka, another 73 private contractors have been killed there.
...
Russia has used such proxies before — in the conflict to help pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine since 2014. One Russian commander boasted of working alongside Russian troops who said they were “on vacation” while fighting in Ukraine.
The Defense Ministry has refused to say how many of its troops are in Syria, although one estimate based on absentee ballots cast in the Russian parliamentary election last year indicated 4,300 personnel were deployed there. That number probably rose this year because Moscow sent Russian military police to patrol “de-escalation zones.”
...
The Wagner group was founded by retired Lt. Col. Dmitry Utkin, who came under U.S. sanctions in June after the Treasury Department said the company had recruited former soldiers to join the separatists fighting in Ukraine. Utkin was photographed a year ago at a Kremlin banquet thrown by Putin to honor military veterans.
Also under U.S. sanctions is Yevgeny Prigozhin, the St. Petersburg entrepreneur dubbed “Putin’s chef” by Russian media because of his restaurants and catering businesses that once hosted the Kremlin leader’s dinners with foreign dignitaries....
As the Russian campaign in Syria draws to a close, the private contractors will probably stay, analysts say.
Wagner is “is likely to cement its footing because we saw that there were not only military goals to pursue ... but there is a commercial motive,” Leviev said. “Someone needs to guard the oil fields.”
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Russians have copied our military aircraft for decades, so it’s no surprise that they’ve observed how we “out source” small-scale military operations to mercenaries. I don’t like it regardless of who does it.
Yeah, they have been making great use of cell phone intercepts, drones and their “liberated” Syrian 2s6 240mm mortar.
“Contractors” are pouring into Iraq right now. Not all are lead throwers. I’ve a friend that left for Iraq about 2 months ago. Pay is great.
Stop calling mercenaries “private contractors”.
They did a damn good job killing jihadists there too...and it cost US taxpayers nothing for their efforts.
Yeah, I know a few of them and they run the gamut from medical and logistical services to security details for high value targets. And as in all boondoggles, everybody's making a ton of money.
I object to military "outsourcing" on three grounds:
1. Plausible deniability is just a respectable lie.
2. Fighting for money is a self-prolonging blood sport and will end badly.
3. If we cannot afford a military big enough to meet all of our commitments, we have too many commitments.
Contractors? Union shop?
That they did. Sounds like a win for the mercs (contractors), Syrians, Russians and US alike. It’s all good.
ROE for the folks back home....
I spend a lot of time in Colombia S.A. and last year the Saudis were trying to recruit former military to fight in Yemen.....not sure if that worked out well lol.
Do you have insight into all the Colombians serving the Saudis in Yemen?
I read a while back that a lot of them got killed.
I just arrived s couple of days ago and havent met with people that know yet. Last word was the Saudis weren’t successful at recruiting.
I’ll let you know more later.
I live hete part time.....been coming down for yrs.
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