"Sand for them fluff"

On November 24, 2015, Russia suffered the first officially confirmed combat losses in Syria. But the citizens of the Russian Federation, who were the struggle for the “Russian world” from the Donbass to the Middle East, are fighting and dying here since 2013. The New Times talked with Russian mercenaries who returned from the Syrian business trip

The site of the entrepreneur Bondo Dorovsky is ready to help those who want to go to fight in Syria

Well, the earth with fluff for the guys ” - the military usually raise such a toast for the dead associates - the third in a row. Now he is raised in Donetsk by the militias of the self -proclaimed DPR, only he sounds differently: "Well, sand with fluff for the guys."

Men who are accustomed to lose friends in the Donbass during the conflict in the Donbass, they grieve that they cannot adequately bury the departed comrades. After all, their bodies will forever remain in a stranger and very far from their native land of the Syrian desert.

"Slavic Corps"

“Here Putin is afraid that there will be no ground operation and Russian troops are needed only to protect the bases,” says one of the Donetsk residents named Nikolai. - And the truth: the sea infantry only guard the fence. And under bullets, shells and bombs are those who are not listed in any regular parts. ”

Nikolai himself only recently returned from a “business trip” to Syria. Both he and the other former “businessmen” unanimously say that today in Syria a large number of volunteers from Russia are fighting, as well as from the self -proclaimed DPR and the LPR. It turns out that the set of those who are ready to risk themselves in battles with bloodthirsty Islamic terrorists was announced in the summer when federal politicians and journalists almost did not talk about Syria. For someone for such a trip they offered good money. Others were crushed by ideology and a sense of duty. Third, reputed commanders persuaded the third. As a result, several units of various numbers that are now fighting and suffering losses in the Middle East were gained.

“Mostly scouts, saboteurs, fire adjusters were recruited. Those who agreed were taken to landfills in the Krasnodar Territory and the Rostov Region "

However, according to Nikolai, many of those with whom he had a chance to fight side by side, this is not the first time on the Syrian front. Back in 2013, about 270 “soldiers of good luck” in the so -called Slavic Corps was collected in Russia. Most of them had experience in Caucasian operations. There were retirees from the special services in very high ranks. “It was officially believed that the Russians would protect the infrastructure for oil production and transportation,” says Nikolai. - They were a little trained at the landfill near Latakia, issued equipment breathing in the incense and sent to the territory controlled by the Islamists. Well, there they were ambushed by ISIS * . "

As a result, the guys from the “corps”, having escaped with several “three hundred” (wounded - in the military language), escaped from an ambush and returned to the base. After that, without paying a penny, they were released in peace. ”

The NT correspondent managed to find confirmation of the story of Nikolai. The Russian media wrote that when the Landsknecht-loser returned to their homeland, the Chekists were already waiting for them at the ramp of the plane. The organizers of the channel transfer to the war “Wild geese” (mercenaries. - NT ) were detained. It turned out that behind the whole project was an international private military company (PMC) Moran Security Group. As a result, a very rare criminal case in modern Russian history was opened under Article 359 of the Criminal Code (“mercenary”). Two leaders of the St. Petersburg organization Slavic Corps Vadim Gusev and Evgeny Sidorov then pleaded guilty and concluded a deal with the investigation. The rest of the "soldiers of good luck" was released in peace.

PMC "Polite people"

The next time, many of the same warriors lit up in 2014 in Crimea as part of the units of “polite people” who disarmed the Ukrainian troops. Inspired by victory, they went to the southeast of Ukraine. There is a version that there the core of the so -called "PMC Wagner", which was headed by the former Lieutenant Colonel GRU with the corresponding call sign, was made of them. PMC performed especially scrupulous tasks. So, perhaps, on their conscience, the death of Alexander Bednov (Batman), Alexei Mozgovoy and other field commanders of the DPR and LPR, who tried to rebel against the leaders of the self -proclaimed republics approved.

Now the same unit of several hundred to several thousand “bayonets” is allegedly fighting in Syria. All his fighters are perfectly equipped and have modern weapons. An officer can receive up to 240 thousand rubles per month per month. In case of death, his relatives must pay 3 million.

However, only the “Wagner PMC, which is considered an elite mercenaries, is not limited. For example, NT interlocutors from a self -proclaimed DPR served in another detachment.

 ** fighters of the "Slavic Corps" in Syria, 2013 **

“After we (in the Donbass. - NT ) announced a truce, recruiters who promised those who did not want to return to work with a meager salary, very large money by local standards - from $ 1 to $ 5 thousand per month,” the magazine’s source said. “At the same time, they explained that, they say, Russia helped us, and now we must return the debt.”

Basically, according to the interlocutor NT, scouts, saboteurs, and fire adjustors were recruited. Those who agreed were taken to landfills in the Krasnodar Territory and the Rostov Region. And after the “advanced training courses” in various ways, often through the air by the sides of the Ministry of Emergencies and military aircraft, delivered to Syria. There they took mobile phones, laptops and other equipment. And upon returning about the Syrian “business trip”, everyone was ordered to forget. “Today, under pain of serious punishment, we are forbidden to write on social networks or even tell someone about where we were and what we were doing,” says the interlocutor of the magazine.

Big war

The Russians also fought side by side with the Donbass militias in Syria, who were literally recruited by the announcement. However, some learned about the possibility of such an Employment from their own sources. The most difficult thing was to get the coveted telephone number, by which they recruited those who wanted to. But the former “smuggles” (contractors), who proven themselves during the Chechen wars, the employees of the military enlistment offices even called themselves. It turns out that arresting the clients of the International PMC, the Russian authorities themselves are in fact engaged in recruiting mercenaries? The intelligence officer Sergey, a former colleague of Nikolai, in a conversation with NT assures: for two years now, the Russian government has been actively investing in private military companies, security services and security companies around the world: “Look,“ polite people ”is actually created, ready to arrange a hybrid war anywhere in the planet. In the Donbass “drove around” the artillery and shooting training of tens of thousands of militias. Now in Syria there is active work in agreement of the actions of these units with Russian aviation. The time of large battalions has passed. Now good luck on the side of small maneuverable groups, which can accurately bring shells, rockets and bombs of friendly troops on the clusters of manpower. ”

By the way, the Syrian desert, says Sergey, has already become a place of testing of all the latest developments of the Russian defense-industrial complex. “Judging by the effect we saw, it is not so, to put it mildly, a defensive. In addition to the aircraft, the Islamists are hollowed by everything that there is, including modernized reactive systems of volley fire (MLRS), inferior only to nuclear weapons with their power. ” It is officially believed that Bashar al -Assad purchased all this weapons, and Russian instructors only teach his army proper use. In fact, the locals are only trusted to watch, but in fact, “behind the remote controls of the MLRS, who erase entire villages in powder,“ polite ”guys are sitting,” says Sergey.

In turn, NT interlocutors from among the Donetsk militia assure that it was their fellow soldiers who participated in the November offensive of the government forces of Bashar al -Assad in the positions of ISIS and Syrian opposition in the provinces of Aleppo and Hama, as a result of which it was possible to unlock a number of airfields and advanced deep into the enemy territory. But I had to pay for this with an expensive price: since the beginning of November, several dozen fighters have been lying in the Syrian desert. Moreover, sometimes groups of Russian volunteers were attacked by air. And to say whose planes they dropped bombs on them, they could not survive. In addition, part of the Russian volunteers fell into the clutches of the Islamists who appointed a large reward for their heads (according to some reports, about $ 12 thousand) - but how many prisoners were definitely not known.

Going to death

Those who wish to shoot terrorists have a quite affordable way to satisfy their unusual needs: Russian Bondo Dorovsky, a few years ago, a former successful entrepreneur, completely openly recruits people for a trip to the war. From his own admission, this man from childhood wanted to participate in hostilities, but was able to realize dreams only during the conflict in the Donbass, where he went to "fight the Nazis and Bandera." Quickly losing illusions in relation to what was happening in the region’s firing in the region, he was returned home, but then Russia decided to pay the international duty of Syria. And then an entrepreneur from Ivanovo on his Facebook page invites people who are not constrained in funds and having army experience, to ride a military safari at their own expense. According to his estimates, such an “adventure” will cost about $ 5-10 thousand. According to the Dorovskys, the first group had already gone to their destination in early October, the second should start in the near future. “We got in touch with the Kurds from the Peshmerga detachments (the elite Kurdish militia, the name is translated into Russian as“ standing before death ”or“ going to death. ” - NT),” says Dorovsky. - Perhaps it will be decided to join the international battalion fighting on their side. Or we will try to join the troops of Assad. ”

Since the beginning of November, several dozen fighters remained in the stuffy hostile desert

It is interesting that at the same time, on his Facebook page, Bondo honestly warns about the possible consequences of such an act for those who plan to draw up a company. Here are excerpts from this message: “Please remember that to sacrifice your life and come to the aid of other people is a serious decision. The conflict is relatively intense in modern military standards - over 3 % of mortality. If you are injured, then there will be no medical evacuation to a military hospital of a modern level. There will be no military pension and support. ISIS awards * are sufficiently high - $ 250,000 for the head of every visiting volunteer. " And in case of abduction, the chances of salvation are extremely low. But even if you manage to be saved - “... you will return home alone, with several photos to remember your combat everyday life, you may meet new friends and, perhaps, will remain with a post -traumatic syndrome for the rest of your life or have the deepest depression. Think, do you need it, is it really your calling?! "

It turns out someone needs ...

* IG, or ISIS ("Islamic state") is a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation.

Photo: bondodorovskikh.ru, fontanka.ru