Wagner publishes details on US air strikes during Battle of Khasham. [135] In April, the Wagner-linked Russian security contractor "Evro Polis" delivered 50 ventilators, 10,000 coronavirus test kits, and 2,000 items of protective clothing to Syria amid the coronavirus pandemic. [29] Three other Wagner commanders also stated the claim of 200 dead was an exaggeration and that 15 PMCs were killed at the most. [91][92][93] A short-term deployment of two Su-57s to Syria was officially confirmed by the Russian defence minister Sergey Shoygu on 1 March 2018. [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. [21] Since September 2014, the U.S. had conducted military operations in Syria, primarily against ISIL forces as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. Around 2030 shells landed within 500 meters of the headquarters. ", "U.S. Military Bombs Russian Tank in Video From Syria Attack on Assad Supporters", "In Syria, Russian bad faith turns fatal", "Relatives and friends of Wagner mercenaries we named earlier confirm to @ru_rbc they indeed had been killed in Syria", "Syria condemns US air strike as massacre", "US-led coalition strikes kill pro-regime forces in Syria", Confirmed: Dozens of Syrian troops killed by US 'defensive' airstrikes in Deir Ezzor, Pro-gov't ISIS Hunters release official statement after US airstrikes in Deir Ezzor, US attack on pro-gov't forces in Deir Ezzor killed more than 10 Russians (photos), "About 220 casualties and wounded of the Russian security companies, the regime forces and their allies in Coalition's bombing and the explosion of a warehouse of the Russian protection forces east of Euphrates The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights", Unprovoked attack by Syrian pro-regime forces prompts Coalition defensive strikes, "Unprovoked attack by Syrian pro-regime forces prompts Coalition defensive strikes", " ", "The U.S.-led coalition killed Russians in airstrikes against pro-Syrian government forces, reports say", Russian mercenary boss spoke with Kremlin before attacking US forces in Syria, intel claims, The international coalition to counter ISIL/Da'esh (the 'Islamic State'), "Russia Crosses the Euphrates: Implications", "Syria truce in limbo after US bombs troops", "U.S. strikes Syria militia threatening U.S.-backed forces - officials", "New details on US shoot down of Syrian jet", U.S. moves toward open-ended presence in Syria after Islamic State is routed, US military to maintain open-ended presence in Syria, Tillerson says: US secretary of state says forces will remain in country in push against Isis, Bashar al-Assad and Iranian influence, Tillerson: U.S. Five Years After a Disastrous Syria Battle, Wagner Group Is More elections. In Ukraine, Wagner had fought a low-intensity [38] In the video of the killing, a second severed head of an unidentified person could be seen lying on the ground. [114] By 23 March, the SOHR put the number of those who left rebel areas or remained in two towns seized by government forces at 120,000, while the UN stated 50,000 had left the besieged areas. 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. Ukraine updates: Wagner head says heavy losses in Bakhmut [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. Battle of Khasham | Military Wiki | Fandom We, in Russia, prefer not to discuss our mercenaries, he added. [63], Bloomberg, as well as other commentators, opined that both the Russian government and Trump administration, in their official statements, appeared to try obfuscating any Russian government role in the incident. "Russians dead in 'battle' in Syria's east", "How a 4-Hour Battle Between Russian Mercenaries and U.S. [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. 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. 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, "Russians dead in 'battle' in Syria's east", "US attack on pro-gov't forces in Deir Ezzor killed more than 10 Russians (photos)", "More than 200 Russians may have been killed in Coalition strikes in Syria", "Reports of Russian Deaths Underscore Dangers of Syria's War", "The business of war: Russian mercenaries in Syria", "Russian toll in Syria battle was 300 killed and wounded: sources", " "" : 40 7 2018", SBU publishes list of 206 non-TOE employees of the Directorate of General Staff of Russian Army, members of Wagner PMC, plus personal data on eight more killed mercs, SBU releases personal details of 11 Russian Wagner PMC mercenaries who fought in Donbas separatists ranks. Wagner Group [69] However, on 4 December, the ISIS Hunters reported they had killed the commander of the ISIL militants that had captured and executed the two PMCs. [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. Reporting by DER SPIEGEL shows that events were likely very different. [138], On 15 March 2023, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that 266 Russian PMCs were killed in Syria during the civil war.[139]. [16] As of early August 2017, the number of Wagner employees in Syria was reported to have reached 5,000, after the arrival of an additional 2,000 PMCs, including Chechens and Ingush. [100] On 19 February, one of Wagner's leaders, Andrei Troshev, was quoted as saying 14 "volunteers" died in the battle. [103] Russia officially confirmed five presumably Russian citizens had been killed in the air-strikes. 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. No U.S. troops were reported killed or wounded. [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. Don't Be Fooled: Russia Attacked U.S. 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. Links between Trump associates and Russian officials, Donald Trump's disclosures of classified information, Viktor BoutBrittney Griner prisoner exchange, Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, Defending Elections from Threats by Establishing Redlines Act, Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act, United States military and prostitution in South Korea. Killing "a Couple Hundred Russians" in Syria", Russian reporter Borodin dead after mystery fall, U.S. airstrike destroys Russian-made tank used by pro-Syria forces, "U.S. drone destroys Russian-made tank in Syria", "At least two fighters of Assad forces killed due US raids on their location by Khasham town", "After brief buildup, pro-Syria government forces move away from U.S. troops", "SDF returns fire after surprise artillery attack near Deir al-Zor: Coalition", "Syrian Democratic Forces Return Fire in Self-Defense", Background and causes of the Syrian Civil War, Syrian government reactions to the Syrian civil war, Inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian civil war, Cities and towns during the Syrian civil war, Sectarianism and minorities in the Syrian civil war, Syrian Desert campaign (December 2017present), Humanitarian aid during the Syrian civil war, Human rights violations during the Syrian civil war, Civil uprising phase of the Syrian civil war, Early insurgency phase of the Syrian civil war, International reactions to the Syrian civil war, Relations between Syrian government and Kurdish groups in Syria, Al-Hasakah Governorate campaign (20122013), Rif Dimashq offensive (Nov 2012Feb 2013), Battle of Tell Hamis and Tell Brak (DecJan), East Ghouta inter-rebel conflict (AprMay), September Urum al-Kubra aid convoy attack, Turkish military operation in Idlib Governorate, Syrian Liberation FrontTahrir al-Sham conflict, Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party Syria Region, National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change, International demonstrations and protests, First Northern Syria Demilitarization Deal, Second Northern Syria Demilitarization Deal, Fourth Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, International recognition of the Syrian National Council, Ambassadors of Russia to the United States, Ambassadors of the United States to Russia, Consulate-General of Russia, New York City, Consulate-General of Russia, San Francisco, Permanent Mission of Russia to the United Nations, Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. [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. [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. That Time US Forces Tore Hundreds of Russian Wagner Group military officials tell NBC News the Russian mercenaries were from the Wagner group, a shadowy security firm linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin, a [95] A Russian military doctor, a leader of a PMC-linked paramilitary Cossack organization, a source with ties to Wagner and the Ukrainian SBU claimed 80100 PMCs were killed and 100200 wounded. [96][97] The SBU further named 64 of the PMCs. [citation needed], On 11 May 2018, the coalition stated that SDF units responded to artillery fire from an unknown source on the outskirts of Deir ez-Zor; the SDF returned fire, leading to the destruction of one enemy artillery piece. Wagner Group activities in Syria - Wikipedia [2] Further strikes were carried out on the mornings of February 8 and 9 on tribal militia members that had come to retrieve dead bodies. [106] According to former Wagner members, the battle at Khasham had an impact that lead to changes to the organization, with the PMCs subsequently being given only guard duties at the local plants. [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. He said he worried about the consequences of publishing his book and was eager to avoid mentioning his alleged former boss, Prigozhin. [75] As part of the same campaign in the northwest of Syria, in early February 2018, the PMCs helped in the capture of several villages in the northeastern countryside of Hama from IS. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the private military company Wagner, has stated that the Wagnerites are running out, and WebThe 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. 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. [35], The clashes lasted four hours and saw more than 100 Syrian pro-government fighters killed, with one SDF fighter injured, according to the coalition. During the clashes, U.S. aircraft attacked Syrian troops, killing 45 to 100 government fighters. [51] A Russian journalist also believed between 20 and 25 PMCs died in the strikes. Syria Liwa Fatemiyoun (Afghan Shia militia)[1][2] Liwa Zainebiyoun (Shia Pakistanis)[2], Foreign intervention in behalf of Syrian Rebels. [84][85], On 19 February 2018, a publication by the Ukraine-based Inform Napalm alleged the battle was planned and cleared with the Russian military command by Sergey Kim, the chief of Wagner's operations department and a former Russian Marine officer. [24] During the first Palmyra offensive, according to one of the contractors, the PMCs were used as "cannon fodder" and most of the work was conducted by them, with the regular Syrian Army, who he described as "chickens", only finishing the job. [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. 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 [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. [104] The coalition discussed the development with Russian counterparts via the established deconfliction line.[105]. [4][5][6] It was reported that the Wagner Group was employed by the Russian Defense Ministry, even though private military companies are illegal in Russia. [48] Syrian government forces took complete control of the city by 3 November. [84] A Kurdish militia commander and an ex-Russian officer also claimed Russian contractors suffered casualties during the fighting. Gabidullin made no attempt to deny Wagners existence or its active role in Russian security interests. Feb 7, 2023 #1 "A Telegram channel linked to the Wagner Group has published an insider account of the only known clash between the mercenary group and the US military the 7 February 2018 battle near Khasham in Syria, in which many Wagner fighters reportedly died. [42] Further investigation by Russian media in December 2019 identified the remaining perpetrators as Vladimir B., Dzhakhongyr M. ("Pamir"), Ruslan ("Chichi") and Vladislav Apostol, who was killed in Syria in February 2018. [87][88] Following the statement, the foreign ministries of Belarus and Kazakhstan were reported to be checking if there were casualties among their countries' citizens, but stated they had no information to confirm that Belarusians or Kazakhstanis had been killed or wounded. Post-Syria, Wagners notoriety has increased after reported operations in Central African Republic and Libya resource-rich countries in which Russia has strategic interests. Marat Gabidullin has written memoir about fighting for Wagner because Russians should know mercenaries exist. [131], In mid-January 2020, tense standoffs started with US troops blocking Russian military vehicles from using the M4 highway in northeastern Syria. 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. Last week, the US-based Daily Beast claimed that Wagner soldiers are being moved from Africa, possibly towards Ukraine. [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. With them have been 27 automobiles together with Russian T-72 tanks and armored personnel carriers. [15][11] Supported by T-72 and T-55 tanks, the pro-government troops first shelled the SDF base with artillery, mortars, and rockets in what U.S. military officials described as a "coordinated attack". Battle of khasham moment : r/NonCredibleDefense - Reddit They arrived at the village of Marrot, which is northwest of both Khasham and the nearby SDF base. [40] A second one was identified as a former soldier named Ruslan from Bryansk, currently employed as a "patriotic educator" in local schools. Wagner recounts US air strikes during Battle of Khasham Americans responded with airstrikes in a four-hour battle, killing an estimated 200 combatants. [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. [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. A source with ties to Wagner and a Russian military doctor claimed 80100 were killed and 200 wounded [ARCHIVED THREAD] - Battle of Khasham. It describes some of the mercenaries big battles, including two operations to liberate the ancient city of Palmyra. [73], Ruslan Pukhov, the director of the Moscow-based Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies think tank, stated the usage of PMCs was one of the factors that contributed to Russia's victory in Syria. However, the SDF later retook the villages, with local sources claiming coalition aircraft bombed pro-government positions in response. 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. [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. Strikes Killed Scores of Russia Fighters in Syria, Sources Say, : " ", "" . Battle of Khasham More importantly, it does not suit the dead mercenaries parents and relatives, who cannot even talk openly about how their son or brother died. [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. Warning shots fired by U.S. military forces in the area stopped this morning advance, and the fighters withdrew back to the west of the Euphrates; these warning shots did not result in any injuries. Battle of Khasham Syrian Army 1 links Land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. 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. military and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) position in the region. [2] At the time, Russia and the United States had an agreement that no more than 400 pro-Syrian government fighters could be in the Syrian-government controlled salient on the river's east bank. The Iranian-backed forces that had gathered consisted of members of the Syrian Army's elite 4th Armoured Division, members of the militias of the local Bekara and Albo Hamad Arab tribes, and members of the Iranian-controlled Fatemiyoun and Zainebiyoun brigades. The memoir also describes mercenaries day-to-day lives, including occasional looting, and his commanders missteps. [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. [65] As government forces advanced, the pro-opposition SOHR reported that Russia demanded the release of the two captive PMCs during negotiations with the trapped militants. Hamdi Bouta) from Deir ez-Zor, of being a jihadist for wanting to desert. [9] An expert on Russian security at the IIR, Mark Galeotti, said they served as "shock troops" alongside the Syrian Army.[25]. [76] Between 3 and 7 February, pro-government forces seized at least 25 villages,[77] shrinking the IS pocket in that part of the country by a reported 80 percent. 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 [50][51] Several PMCs were killed during the fighting for the town and their bodies were seized by the militants. Ukraine is our brother.. It doesnt fit the official narrative.. Representatives for Prigozhin have not responded to requests for comment. [70][71] News outlets also noted that Vladimir Putin abruptly cancelled most of his previously announced engagements scheduled for 12 and 13 February, his press service citing ill health, and instead had a secret conference with his top military chiefs;[72][73] he also had a telephone conversation with U.S. president Donald Trump on 12 February, with no details revealed. [110][111], As of 17 March, 82 percent of Eastern Ghouta was captured by the Syrian Army. [12] Later, a Defense Ministry source told RBK TV that the FSB was also directing the PMCs.
