Oil workers good luck

The unit that fell under American aircraft in Syria was not solved by the state, but a private problem

For the sake of what was the purpose of the fighters of the PMC Wagner sent to a deliberately disastrous battle? Who and what were supposed to protect in the territories that have long been cleaned of terrorists? This great goal is money. And it’s not that very large: a quarter of income with a very mediocre by Russian standards of the Konoko gas deposit.

The Fontanka.ru newspaper has repeatedly said that formally such a structure as Wagner PMC does not exist. Hiring up for money for money first in the Donbass, and then in Syria, the Freedoms of the PMC concluded labor contracts with other legal entities. But all these structures, according to Fontanka, are associated with the Kremlin cook Evgeny Prigozhin. The Euro Polis company, according to Fontanka, controlled in 2017, signed a memorandum with the Syrian government: it undertakes to free the ISIS from terrorists ( a terrorist organization banned in Russia - ed. ) Oil and gas fields in Syria, and then protect them, receive 25 percent of the income from each deposit.

On February 7, these fighters went just on such a deposit and fell under American aircraft. Only they were going to free him not from the ISIS.

Before the Syrian province of Deir Ez-Riz, all world fighters with terrorism hands reached in the summer of 2017.

And between these forces of good, a competition began in which the winner was supposed to receive a jackpot: oil and gas fields that previously fed all Syria.

The Province of Deir Ez-Zor is divided into two parts, conditionally western and east, the Efrat River. The main share of oil and gas fields is located in the desert on the left - eastern - shore. Until last fall, they were all in the hands of ISIS. Oil and gas from these deposits gave terrorists the lion's share of their income. From Al Tanak alone, Igilovites received up to 17 thousand barrels of oil per day, and with Al Omar up to 13 thousand. In March 2015, the American special forces liquidated ISIS Abu Saiyaf and seized his documentation. And then it turned out: producing hydrocarbons with artisanal methods and with huge costs, selling them two to three times cheaper than in the world market, ISISTOVED in six months received an income of $ 289.5 million.

The Kurds “cleaned” Deir Ez-Riz from the north-west and on the left bank of the Euphrates were the first. They got a dozen rich oil and gas fields and factories. The Prosadov forces, in the ranks of which Wagner fighters fought, moved from the southwest and did not go further than the Euphrates. They managed to free and take only three small deposits: Al Harata, Al Shula and Al Taim. Igilovites squeezed from them from 600 to 1000 barrels per day. A quarter of income from all this - the cat is naked. It is especially disappointing when you know that in two hundred meters, behind the river - Klondike, but he is in the hands of the Kurds.

At the end of September, the Kurds replaced ISIS from the next deposit - Tabia. These are gas fields, from which, before the war, against the background of the booty, the Syrians received two million cubic meters daily. And the potential of the field is 13 million cubic meters of gas per day. Another name of the deposit is Konoko: it opened and in the early 2000s was operated by the American company Conocophillips. She also built a modern gas processing plant.

Under the control of Konoko, Konoko was on September 23. The next day, the Prisadov forces tried to recapture him. The Syrian opposition was shocked by treachery, it accused Russia of air raids: they say, while it, the opposition, beats the terrorists, “Russian combat aircraft fired at the Syrian democratic forces ... at a large gas field, conquered on the eve of the militants,” wrote The Washington Post. In response, Russia accused the United States of "two -faced politics." In general, it was not possible to capture the field.

Meanwhile, the Russian military built a 210-meter pontoon bridge through the Euphrates. They explained as follows: along it to the eastern shore will be transferred by soldiers of the Syrian Arab Army, armored vehicles and goods. Why transfer government troops to the opposition camp - they apparently knew. The bridge was excellent, promised that 8 thousand armored vehicles per day would be able to pass through it. The Syrian government reported that since its construction has significantly improved the humanitarian situation on the left bank of the Euphrates. Probably meant that with the help of a bridge for armored vehicles the Syrian government of the Kurds fed.

Then there were probably some negotiations between the Russian side and the opposition. Because on October 19, the Beirut newspaper Almasdar News suddenly reported that the Kurds agreed to transfer to Russia the “Konoko Gas Field” and the headquarters of Deir Ez-Riza attached to it. ” And that there, at Konoko, they have already arrived at the invitation of the Kurds of the “Russian ground troops”. And Russia, as we recall, do not have such troops in Syria. Who actually came to visit gas fields - you can only guess. But the process of transferring the deposit to these people somehow dragged on, and then, in October, the matter did not go beyond the friendly visit of the “ground forces”.

In early January, the bridge suddenly collapsed. The water level in Euphrates rose sharply - and he was simply washed away. The newspaper of the Ministry of Defense "Red Star" accused the Americans of deliberately staged a flood to break our bridge. “A sharp change in the water situation occurred due to the deliberate opening of the gateways on the damage of the Hydroelectric Power Station, which is on the territory of opposition formations controlled by the“ international coalition ”, led by the United States,” the publication said. The Americans denied everything.

On January 20, Türkiye began operation “olive branch” against the Syrian Kurds, in the area of ​​their city Afrin. The Kurds counted on support from Russia. But Russia set the condition: voluntarily transfer the enclave under the control of Assad President - and then Ankara will abandon his plans. Kurds did not even want to discuss it. After 9 days, the Congress of the Syrian Nationalalog began in Sochi, and there were no Kurds among the opposition for those who came to him. They themselves said that Moscow did not invite them. In general, it became clear that the relationship was completely spoiled. So, to the same “ground forces” that they went to visit Konoko, should not be seen.

And on February 7, the "ground troops" decided to take what they promised and did not give them. Did their command know that American aviation promised to answer? Who generally gave them orders, did someone give them a warning? At the moment, this is still unknown, as well as the number and names of those who died in this failed attack.