American Fury: The Truth About the Russian Deaths in Syria: Hundreds of Russian soldiers are alleged to have died in U.S. airstrikes at the beginning of February. " ", "Diplomats specify who was killed by an American strike ( , )", "Here's What We Know About The US Airstrikes That Killed Russian Fighters In Syria", "Russian lawmaker says U.S. strike in Syria an act of aggression: Inter", "U.S.-led coalition strike in Syria 'regrettable', " // .., , 8 2018 ", "Iran Says U.S. 'Even Worse' Than ISIS After Bombing Supreme Leader's Allies in Syria", Dozens of Russians Are Believed Killed in U.S.-Backed Syria Attack, U.S. The Syrian government controlled all areas west of the river, including the great majority of Deir ez-Zor, and a salient on the river's east bank across from the city. 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. [103] The Carpathians consisted of about 100 fighters. [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. [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. Instead, they were stationed at facilities and it was stated that during the past summer a company trained for three months at a base, 70 kilometers from Deir ez-Zor, for riot control. Photos and videos appeared to show at least one Russian PMC accompanying Syrian troops into one of the towns. (modern). At the end of November, it was reported that the Russian military was negotiating for the release of the two PMCs who were reportedly being held on the border of Syria and Iraq. [91][92] Some posts on Russian social media made claims of over 200 Russian PMCs being killed, although the veracity of this information was questioned[93] and could not be confirmed. Gripping his recently finished memoir, In the Same River Twice, the first published account of fighting for the secretive Russian mercenary outfit Wagner, Gabidullin said: I wrote this because I realised its time for our country to face the truth: mercenaries exist., At 55, hes an imposing figure, with his face and muscular arms covered in scars. Several sniper rifles and grenade launchers were delivered a few weeks later, which did not solve the issue. [51] A Russian journalist also believed between 20 and 25 PMCs died in the strikes. [74], In December 2017, the PMCs took part in the Syrian Army's offensive into Idlib province against mostly HTS rebel forces. Wagner Group [4][12][5] Nearby American artillery batteries, including an M142 HIMARS, shelled Syrian forces as well. In 2015, Gabidullin, a Russian airborne forces veteran and former bodyguard, joined Wagner, at the time a relatively unknown mercenary group. [131], In mid-January 2020, tense standoffs started with US troops blocking Russian military vehicles from using the M4 highway in northeastern Syria. [32] Still, in mid-September, the al-Shaer gas fields started getting back into production. 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. [46] On 17 February,[52] a Wagner leader, Andrei Troshev, was quoted as saying 14 "volunteers" died in the battle. The Puzzle of Russian Behavior in Deir al-Zour - War on the Rocks They arrived at the village of Marrot, which is northwest of both Khasham and the nearby SDF base. Syrian Army 1 links Land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin attends the funeral of his fighters at the Beloostrovskoye cemetery outside St. Petersburg, Russia, on December 24, 2022. Putin's Secret Soldiers in Ukraine and Syria", "They fought for Palmyra again: Russian mercenaries killed in battle with ISIS", "After inflicting heavy losses on the regime forces, ISIS restore its stronghold in Hama and the regime desperate to retake Uqayribat", "The media reported the death of another soldier PMC Wagner in Syria". According to the center, 79,702 people had left rebel-held parts of Eastern Ghouta as of 19 March. Wagner publishes details on US air strikes during Battle of Khasham. [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. [52] At the end of that month, during an ISIL counter-offensive in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate, two Wagner PMCs were captured by the militants. "Russians dead in 'battle' in Syria's east", "How a 4-Hour Battle Between Russian Mercenaries and U.S. [89], In late February 2018, CNN quoted multiple Russian sources claiming that those seeking to publicise information about the casualties in the 7 February strike were being harassed and silenced, presumably by people loyal to Yevgeny Prigozhin. [44], Shortly after the strikes, various Russian unofficial sources began to publicize information that a number of Russian "volunteers" (PMCs) had been killed in the strikes,[3][45] with some posts on Russian social media making claims of over 200 Russian PMCs being killed, although the veracity of this information was questioned[46] and could not be confirmed. [26] This intent was, in mid-January 2018, clearly broadcast by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who said the Trump administration would maintain an open-ended military presence in Syria to counter Iranian influence and ensure the departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. strike. He was soon deployed to fight in Syria alongside the Russian army supporting President Bashar al-Assad, quickly rising to command one of Wagners five units there. More than three years after it took place in February 2018, the Battle of Khasham remains one of the most dramatic and mysterious events of the Syrian civil war. The Battle of Khasham, also known as the Battle of Conoco Fields, was a military engagement of the Syrian civil war fought on 7 February 2018 near the towns of Khasham and Al Tabiyeh in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria. They stand in stark contrast to recent UN reports accusing Wagner operatives of raping civilians in Central African Republic or allegations that Wagner soldiers tortured and killed a prisoner in Syria. [49], Contrary to the claims of hundreds of deaths among the PMCs, a Russian investigative group, the Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT), confirmed 10 contractor deaths[50] and estimated a total of between 20 and 30 had died. Wagner Group Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [62] Three or four companies of Wagner PMCs were involved in the fighting. [20][30], A few days before, Prigozhin had been indicted by the grand jury for the District of Columbia on charges related to the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. On Feb. 7, 2018, 500 pro-government Syrian troops, including Iranian-trained Shia militiamen, along with Russian military contractors began their attack on No U.S. troops were reported killed or wounded. [29], In February 2018, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigian, Commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command, talked about the circumstances before the attack: "The coalition observed a slow buildup of personnel and equipment the previous week, and we reminded Russian officials of the SDF and coalition presence via the telephone deconfliction line. [11] The usage of Wagner had reportedly cost Russia 170 million dollars by August 2016. [136] At the end of December 2020, ISIL attacks intensified in eastern Syria, after the PMCs reportedly withdrew from Deir ez-Zor province to Latakia. Basically some American operators and local Syrian allies were holding a position outside Khasham that guarded the route to some [43] The Novaya Gazeta newspaper sent the material from its investigation into the killing to the office of the Prosecutor General of Russia, as well as the Investigative Committee of Russia, however no criminal cases were opened as a result. I know you're going to ask, so I'm going to be clear that I will not speculate on the composition of this force or whose control they were under. Russian mercenaries fighting for Assad The organization that recruited the fighters, known as Wagner group, uses defense ministry transport infrastructure and hospitals. ARCHIVED; Posted: 6/10/2019 4:01:43 AM EDT Battle of Khasham Date: 78 February 2018 Location: near Khasham, Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria This video goes into the Wagner Group and Russian families who lost sons in the battle (duration 00:12:21). Throughout the conversation, Gabidullin looked somewhat agitated, his piercing blue eyes darting around the empty cafe. With them have been 27 automobiles together with Russian T-72 tanks and armored personnel carriers. Almost half a dozen incidents took place towards the end of the month. Reporting by DER SPIEGEL shows that events were likely very different. [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. [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. [60], In late October 2017, a video emerged on YouTube glorifying the PMCs actions in Syria. A couple hundred Russians were killed. Mercenaries have skills armies lack: former Wagner operative On February 7, 2018, Wagner mercenaries and Syrian soldiers carried out an assault on a US special forces outpost near the town of Khasham, hammering the American position with artillery rounds as the Russians and Syrians advanced. [31] However, as of the beginning of July, the PMCs were still fighting to secure the al-Shaer gas fields and the areas of the phosphate mines. [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. The Paris-based Michel Lafon publishing house is also planning to distribute a French version. elections. The Russian armys achievements in Syria were largely because of the mercenaries sacrifices. Three weeks after the incident, Germany's Der Spiegel published their own investigative report based on evidence gleaned from multiple first-hand sources (participants and witnesses) in the area. 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. Concurrently, another group of Syrian tribal militia and Shia fighters began to advance north toward Khasham from Tabiyet Jazira, a Syrian government-controlled town east of the Euphrates that is significantly closer to Khasham (and the nearby the SDF base) than Marrot. [27][28], Russia had been conducting air military operations in Syria in support of the Syrian government since 30 September 2015. I thought to myself, Enough, its time to get out of the shadows. I will not be dissuaded from publishing again. [61] Between the end of October and the start of November, Wagner took part in the Battle of Deir ez-Zor[21] where they cleared the remaining ISIL militants from the districts of Al-Rashidiyah and Al-Ardi, as well as the Al-Bazh and Abu-Adad neighborhoods, along with the Syrian Army. Marat Gabidullin says Russias achievements in Syria were largely because of the mercenaries sacrifices. [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. PUTINS SECRET ARMIES WAGED WAR IN SYRIAWHERE WILL THEY FIGHT NEXT? The PMCs were accompanying government forces as they advanced towards the SDF-held oil and gas fields. PHOTOS, Hrytsak: The lie stained with blood, greed and fear for the committed crimes this is the true face of Russian special services. Scores of Wagner soldiers are believed to have fought and died in Syria since the conflict began in 2011. Ukraine Update: Wagner mercenary chief Prigozhin: 'Russia is on The tank itself was not firing on the SDF and the coalition, but other elements in the formation were. Compared to its influence over the Syrian government, the Russian government had significantly less influence over Iran's government, military, and proxies in Syria, which constituted a large portion of pro-Syrian government ground forces in both Deir ez-Zor and throughout Syria.[40]. This was in contrast to CIT's earlier confirmation by name of no more than eight dead. [79], At about 10pm, 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. [2] According to Der Spiegel's report, no Russians were in either formation, though there was a small contingent of Russian PMCs stationed in Tabiyeh who were not participating in the fighting. [12] According to sources in Wagner, cited by news media as well as the Department of Defense, U.S. forces were in constant contact with the official Russian liaison officer posted in Deir ez-Zor throughout the engagement, and only opened fire after they had received assurances that no regular Russian troops were in action or at risk. The military claimed that, according to intercepted radio traffic, the groups were partly ISIL and partly Kurds, and retreated towards the Conoco factory. Confronted with these accusations, Gabidullin said he never saw his comrades engaged in such acts but added that such crimes were to be expected given the groups current shadowy status. 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. 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. Wagner [112] One of the towns captured by government troops during this time was Mesraba. [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. 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 [103] Russia officially confirmed five presumably Russian citizens had been killed in the air-strikes. In Syria, now, a handful of weeks ago the Russians met their match. Opinion: Inside The Battle Of Khasham In Syria - Aviation Week The military claimed that, according to intercepted radio traffic, the groups were partly ISIL and partly Kurds, and retreated towards the Conoco factory. A pair of U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles flew over northern Iraq on Sept. 23, 2014, after conducting airstrikes in Syria. [67][68] However, the two PMCs were still prisoners. Ismail had fled Syria earlier in the war for Lebanon, before returning in 2017, after which he was arrested and forcibly conscripted into the Syrian military. The clash on February 7, 2018, was sparked by a pro-Assad regime force, including mercenaries from Russia's Wagner Group, advancing on an outpost manned [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. Battle of Khasham INDICTMENT: The Grand Jury for the District of Columbia charges: , Wagner's failed attack on US forces in Syria 'led by former Russian Marine officer', polygraph.info (3 October 2019) Russian News Accidentally Reveals Evidence of PMC Wagner in CAR, " ", "U.S. Airstrikes Kill 100 Russian and Syrian Fighters, Reports Say", "Pentagon Says U.S. Was Told No Russians Involved In Syria Attack", Department of Defense Press Briefing by Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White in the Pentagon: Briefing Room: Press Operations: Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White, Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System, "The Lion and The Eagle: The Syrian Arab Army's Destruction and Rebirth", "Struggle Between Russia, Iran For Control Over Syria's Centers Of Power", "Assad Appoints Pro-Russia General as Chief of Staff", "Syria says rare US strike an effort 'to support terrorism', 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, " .