An error or betrayal?

13 Russians who were not supposed to be in the fire zone of the American military were killed near Deir

According to the command of the Russian military group in Syria, in the column advanced in the direction of the Conooco oil and gas field, there should have been no Russians. Our military handed over such information to colleagues from the United States, and they decided to attack the AC-130 air column and AH-64 Apache, F-15 fighters and drones, as well as artillery batteries. Already after the Aviation Artillery strike, according to our sources in Syria, it turned out that the Russians were also in the column. 13 of them died, another and a half were injured.

Isis Hunters fighters. Ruptly video frame

The American newspaper The Washington Post, citing Kurdish General Hassan, heading the “democratic forces of Syria,” spoke about some details of the collision “between American and Russian forces” 80 kilometers east of Deir Ez-Zor on the left bank of the Euphrates River.

According to General Hassan, on the night of February 7 to 8, the Prosadovskaya column with tanks, armored vehicles, artillery and trucks was nominated in the direction of the Oil and gas field of Conoco. Around 22.00 the enemy opened fire from tanks and artillery guns. The shells were torn "about 450 meters from the positions occupied by DSS and American soldiers." The attack aircraft, fighters and drones of the US Air Force were forced to attack the advancing Syrians and Russians. The battle ended at about 5.30 in the morning.

Information message about the sudden attack of the Prosadov forces on the strengthening of the Syrian democratic opposition - and the response of the coalition on the Assad forces on February 7.

General Hassan claims that about a hundred attackers were liquidated. And among them "several Russians are probably from among the mercenaries fighting with supporting the Syrian regime forces."

The article in The Washington Post was published on February 13.

Meanwhile, already from February 8, rumors were extended on social networks about the death under Deir Ez-Zoro “from 200 to 600 fighters” “Wagner PMC”.

Before the publication of the American publication, it was only known for certain that on February 8 in Syria, the funeral of two dozen ISIS Hunters fighters - “ISIS hunters” were held. (ISIS - a terrorist organization banned in Russia). From this moment, there were braids that ISIS Hunters always act as an information cover of the Vagner PMC, fighting in Syria since October 2015, almost from the moment of transferring to the Middle East of the Russian Air Force. There was even information that the group defeated near Deir ez-Zoro almost completely consisted of Russians.

Unlike anonymous bloggers, our experts consider ISIS Hunters the most combat -ready unit, a kind of Syrian special forces, which are the most prepared military Assad.

Jan Bronitsky, a graduate of military schools and the Academy, an expert on the activities of PMCs outside Russia, believes that for ISIS Hunters dozens of dead are serious losses:

- There are experienced fighters, and in an ordinary clashes with the infantry, such losses would not be allowed.

According to Bronitsky, the operation of the offensive in the direction of the Conoco deposit was completely unsuccessful.

The expert suggests that there was a betrayal. In any case, this is precisely this is indicated by the fact that the fighters of ISIS Hunters and the “Wagner PMC” were nominated at night, but, despite this, they were discovered and attacked.

Bronitsky believes that it is necessary to force the adoption of the Russian law on private military companies:

- In my opinion, urgent legalization of all this “disgrace” with incomprehensible people with weapons in foreign territory is required. Who are these people? Why there? What are they doing there?

One of the developers of the Russian Law on PMC, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on State Planning and Legislation, Mikhail Emelyanov, who stated the new ", agrees with Bronitsky.

- If the law on PMCs had already been adopted and worked, we would really know if there are our citizens in Syria. Because in the project we have developed, the norm provides for the fact that the Ministry of Defense of Russia assigned the role of the coordinator of the activities of all PMCs and the coordination of all movements of their fighters outside of Russia.

But so far there is no law. And the Kremlin can lead the press to the Ministry of Defense, they say, demand comments from them. The Ministry of Defense remains silent, refusing to comment on the losses of the "Wagnerians."

Meanwhile, the presidential candidate Grigory Yavlinsky demanded not from the Minister of Defense, but from the Supreme Commander -in -Chief “clarify the situation” with reports of the death of Russian citizens in Syria.