Slavonic Corps
Dates of operationOctober 2013
Headquarters Hong Kong[1]
Active regionsDeir ez-Zor Governorate
Size267 (October 2013)
Allies Syrian Armed Forces
Opponents
Battles and warsSyrian civil war
Designated as a terrorist group by Ukraine[2][3]

The Slavonic Corps (Russian: Славянский Корпус) is an 18 January 2012 established firm registered in Hong Kong[1][4][5] as a private military contractor (PMC) that operated during the Syrian civil war for 113 days after which many of these fighters established the Wagner Group.[6][7]

Formation

According to media reports, the Slavonic Corps was registered in Hong Kong by two employees of the private security company Moran Security Group, Russian nationals Vadim Rudolfovich Gusev (Russian: Вадим Рудольфович Гусев), who was the deputy director, and Yevgeniy Sidorov (Russian: Евгений Сидоров).[8][lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] Vadim Gusev held all 10,000 shares of the Hong Kong-based company.[15]

In the spring of 2013, job ads by a Hong Kong-based company emerged on various Russian military related websites. The ads promised 5,000 USD per month for guard duties protecting Syrian energy facilities during the Syrian civil war. The ads attracted the attention of former members of OMON, SOBR, VDV and Spetsnaz; many of them had previous military experience in the Tajikistani Civil War as well as the Second Chechen War.[20][23][24]

Deployment

In 2013, after initially arriving in Beirut, Lebanon, the PMCs were first transferred to Damascus, Syria and then to a Syrian army base between Latakia and Tartus.[20][lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4] The Syrian Ministry of Energy and the Energy Energy Company hired the Slavonic Corps to protect the oil fields in the Deir ez-Zor region between Homs and Deir Ez Zor, but, on 18 October 2013, while traveling from Latakia to the place of execution of tasks,[lower-alpha 5] the convoy was drawn into a clash with units of the Islamic State.[26][27] By October, the Slavonic Corps had a strength of 267 contractors divided into two companies that were present in Latakia.[26] At least 9 GRU officers were allegedly in their ranks.[6]

The contractors were provided with outdated equipment which raised concerns among the participants. They soon realized that the FSB and the Syrian government had no involvement with the operation. Those wishing to return to Russia were left with no choice but to earn their ticket back through direct participation in the Syrian civil war. The new goal of the Slavonic Corps was described as guarding the oil fields of Deir ez-Zor.[28] Instead of the promised T-72s, the contractors were provided with buses covered in metal plates. En route to Deir ez-Zor, the column encountered a Syrian air force helicopter which collided with a transmission line and crashed into the caravan, injuring one of the contractors.[29]

On 18 October, the column received orders to reinforce Syrian army forces in the city of Al-Sukhnah. Three hours into its journey, the column came under attack. With the aid of a Syrian army self-propelled gun and air support from a single fighter jet, the contractors assumed a defensive position. Jaysh al-Islam fighters numbering from two to six thousand men (according to the Russians) attempted a pincer movement. Vastly outnumbered, the contractors retreated to their vehicles as a desert storm covered the battlefield.[15] In the aftermath of the battle, six Slavonic Corps members were wounded.[29] Having failed to achieve their objectives, the group returned to Russia.

Upon arriving at Vnukovo International Airport, the participants were detained by the FSB on suspicion of acting as mercenaries, which is punishable under Article 359 of the Russian criminal law.[6][27] Despite the fact that the company was registered in Hong Kong, the owners, Gusev and Sidorov, were also charged, sent to Lefortovo Prison, and convicted in October 2014.[8][20]

Igor Girkin (Strelkov), who was the deputy commander of the Second Russian Volunteer Detatchment (RDO-2) the "Tsar's Wolves" during the Yugoslavia Wars and was the head of the security service of the Konstantin Malofeev associated Marshall Capital, is a strong supporter of the Slavonic Corps.[30][31][32][33][34][lower-alpha 7]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ From the Moran Security Group (MSG) official website: "we are an international group of companies providing a range of services in the field of security, consulting, transportation and medical support." The company specializes in a full range of ship escort services - from logistics to security. In general, the company has been engaged in the safety of tankers beginning in 2001, according to a Fontaka article, and, as early as 2006, according to Moran Security Group, local security personnel were successfully trained to provide VIP support services. Since 2010, it has been actively engaged in operations protecting merchant ships from pirate attacks in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Somalia and the Indian Ocean. Moran Security Group also maintains a presence in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea. Since 2012, a division of the Moran Security Group owns the Myre Seadiver which was a former a former Norwegian offshore rescue vessel that was converted into a vessel for security tasks and was employed by Sovcomflot (Russian: «Совкомфлот»), the United Cargo Fleet (Russian: Объединённый грузовой флот) and other companies.[9][10][11][12] As of 2015, the MSG owned fleet included four vessels: Ratibor (ESU2529), Maagen (E5U2139), Anchor 1 (E5U2491) and Deo Juvante (E5U2630).[13][14] Although MSG is registered in Belize,[15] the British Virgin Islands firm Neova Holdings Ltd holds a 50% stake in MSG.[15][16] As of autumn 2013, Boris Georgievich Chikin (Russian: Борис Георгиевич Чикин), who is a weapons specialist,[17] and Vyacheslav Vasilyevich Kalashnikov (Russian: Вячеслав Васильевич Калашников), who is the MSG president, a colonel in the FSB reserve and, later, an adviser to Russian Senator Alexander Torshin while the Slavonic Corps existed,[7][18] are co-owners of Moran Security Group which is headquarted at Potapovsky Lane, house 5, in Moscow.[4][5][19][20] Allegedly, Bashar al-Assad is a client of MSG.[13][21][22]
  2. ↑ The address for the Slavonic Corps in Saint Petersburg was at 5 Alexander Blok Street, in the Baltic Shooting Center (Russian: «Балтийский стрелковый центр») which also was headed by Boris Chikin.[4][5]
  3. ↑ The base between Latakia and Tartus was at a hippodrome which was occupied by Syrian reservists. Staying in a stable, the Slavonic Corps, by October 2013, had 267 people divided into two companies: one company was staffed by Cossacks from the Kuban and the other by people from all over Russia including 10 to 12 people from St. Petersburg. The Slavonic Corps commanders said that the Slavonic Corps would have an increase of 2,000 in Syria. Later, in 2015, the base had Russians supporting the Syrian Army 4th Corps.[25]
  4. ↑ Allegedly, a Syrian oligarch with Assad's consent requested the Slavonic Corps.[15]
  5. ↑ On 18 October 2013, the Slavonic Corps was alerted from Homs and was on the more than 230 kilometres (140 mi) trek to the neighboring city of Al-Sukhnah when the attack occurred.[7]
  6. ↑ Located at the Molkino base are the 1st Guards Missile Brigade (military unit 31853), the 10th separate special forces brigade of the GRU of the Ministry of Defense (military unit 51532), as well as the 243rd combined arms training ground (military unit 55485).[17]
  7. ↑ Allegedly, Dmitry Utkin (aka "Wagner") was associated with the Slavonic Corps and, later, the Yevgeny Prigozhin associated Wagner Group (aka the "orchestra") which trained near the Don federal highway M 4 at the Molkino (Russian: Молькино) GRU base base (Goryacheklyuchevsky garrison), after its more than 50 million rubles modernization by JSC Garrison (Russian: АО «Гарнизон») during early 2015 to provide a training ground for troops using night vision devices,[lower-alpha 6] at Molkin (Russian: Молькин) near Goryachy Klyuch which is in the Goryacheklyuchevsky district (Russian: Горячеключевский район) (Belorechensky District) and 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Krasnodar.[16][17][35][36] Allegedly, Utkin, an anti-Semitic, recruited numerous members of the Slavonic Corps, especially paratroopers, former special forces (OMON, SOBR, Spetsnaz, etc.) and marines, to support Russia's interests, in 2014, during the Crimea referendum and war in Donbas often as "cleaners" («чистильщиков») in Luhansk,[16] and, in 2015, Syria before the start of air attacks by Russian forces.[7][17][37][38][39][40]

References

  1. 1 2 "Registration Document". Hong Kong Companies. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  2. ↑ "Ukraine's Parliament Recognizes Wagner as Transnational Criminal Organization". Kyiv Post. 6 February 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  3. ↑ "Проект Постанови про Звернення Верховної Ради України до Організації Об'єднаних Націй, Європейського Парламенту, Парламентської Асамблеї Ради Європи, Парламентської Асамблеї ОБСЄ, Парламентської Асамблеї НАТО, Парламентської Асамблеї ОЧЕС, урядів і парламентів держав світу про визнання російських приватних військових компаній терористичними організаціями" [Draft Resolution on Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine's Address to the United Nations, European Parliament, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, NATO Parliamentary Assembly, BSEC Parliamentary Assembly, and governments and parliaments of the countries of the world on recognition of Russian private military companies as terrorist organisations]. Verkhovna Rada (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Коротков, Денис (Korotkov, Denis) (30 October 2013). "Ландскнехтов в Сирию послал Петербург" [Landsknechtov sent St. Petersburg to Syria]. Fontanka (in Russian). Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. 1 2 3 Коротков, Денис (Korotkov, Denis) (30 October 2013). "Ландскнехтов в Сирию послал Петербург" [Landsknechtov sent St. Petersburg to Syria]. Fontaka (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. 1 2 3 Яппаровой, Лилии (Yapparova, Lilia) (5 July 2018). "Золото Вагнера. Сколько платят за живых и мертвых наемников, как российские военные компании делят Африку, и кто стоит за новой ЧВК «Патриот»: Рассказы бойцов и их родных в репортаже Лилии Яппаровой" [Wagner's Gold. How much do they pay for living and dead mercenaries, how Russian military companies divide Africa, and who is behind the new PMC "Patriot": Stories of fighters and their relatives in the report of Lilia Yapparova]. Dozhd (tvrain.tv) (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. 1 2 3 4 Дергачев, Владимир (Dergachev, Vladimir); Згировская, Екатерина (Zgirovskaya, Ekaterina) (24 March 2016). "Российские наемники в боях за Пальмиру: В Сирии под Пальмирой могли погибнуть российские наемники" [Russian mercenaries in the battles for Palmyra: Russian mercenaries could have died in Syria near Palmyra]. Gazeta.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 17 December 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. 1 2 Хазов-Кассиа, Сергей (Khazov-Kassia, Sergey) (7 March 2018). "Проект "Мясорубка". Рассказывают три командира "ЧВК Вагнера"" [The "Meat Grinder" project. Three commanders of the Wagner PMC tell]. Radio Liberty (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ "Moran Security Group: About Us". «Moran Security Group» website (moran-group.org). 25 September 2023. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  10. ↑ Коротков, Денис (Korotkov, Denis) (25 February 2013). "Заложники Нигерии ждут коммандос от президента" [Hostages of Nigeria are waiting for commandos from the president]. Fontanka (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ Коротков, Денис (Korotkov, Denis) (20 February 2013). "Российские моряки могут остаться в Нигерии навсегда" [Russian sailors can stay in Nigeria forever]. Fontanka (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ↑ Коротков, Денис (Korotkov, Denis) (20 January 2013). "Нигерийский военный флот не любит конкурентов" [The Nigerian navy does not like competitors]. Fontanka (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. 1 2 Sukhankin, Sergey (20 March 2019). "War, Business and Ideology: How Russian Private Military Contractors Pursue Moscow's Interests". jamestown.org. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  14. ↑ Sukhankin, Sergey (25 June 2019). "From 'Volunteers' to Quasi-PMCs: Retracing the Footprints of Russian Irregulars in the Yugoslav Wars and Post-Soviet Conflicts". jamestown.org. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Weiss, Michael (21 November 2013). "The Case of the Keystone Cossacks: Who sent a bunch of hapless Russian soldiers of fortune to go do battle in Syria?". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 23 December 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 Рождественский, Илья (Rozhdestvensky, Ilya); Баев, Антон (Baev, Anton); Русяева, Полина (Rusyaeva, Polina) (25 August 2016). "Призраки войны: как в Сирии появилась российская частная армия: ЧВК во всем мире — огромный бизнес: «частники» нередко подменяют собой вооруженные силы. В России они вне закона. Но в Сирии был обкатан прототип российских ЧВК — группа Вагнера, и власти вновь думают о легализации" [Ghosts of war: how the Russian private army appeared in Syria: PMCs all over the world are a huge business: "private companies" often replace the armed forces. They are illegal in Russia. But a prototype of Russian PMCs, the Wagner group, was tested in Syria, and the authorities are again thinking about legalization]. «РБК» (rbc.ru) (in Russian). Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Alternate archive
  17. 1 2 3 4 Петелин, Герман (Petelin, German or Herman); Ващенко, Владимир (Vashchenko, Vladimir) (31 March 2016). "Из Молькино в Пальмиру: как тренируют российских наемников: На модернизацию полигона для воюющих в Сирии российских наемников ушло 50 млн рублей" [From Molkino to Palmyra: how Russian mercenaries are trained: 50 million rubles were spent on modernizing the training ground for Russian mercenaries fighting in Syria]. Gazeta.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 17 December 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. ↑ Miller, James (19 November 2013). ""'Mercenary' is Merely a Cover Story for Russian Soldier or Spook"". The Interpreter Magazine (www.interpretermag.com). Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  19. ↑ Сурначевой, Елизаветы (Surnacheva, Elizaveta); Рождественский, Илья (Rozhdestvensky, Ilya); Баев, Антон (Baev, Anton); Русяева, Полина (Rusyaeva, Polina) (25 August 2016). "Призраки войны: как в Сирии появилась российская частная армия: ЧВК во всем мире — огромный бизнес: «частники» нередко подменяют собой вооруженные силы. В России они вне закона. Но в Сирии был обкатан прототип российских ЧВК — группа Вагнера, и власти вновь думают о легализации" [Ghosts of war: how the Russian private army appeared in Syria: PMCs all over the world are a huge business: "private traders" often replace the armed forces. In Russia, they are outlawed. But in Syria, a prototype of Russian PMCs, the Wagner Group, was tested, and the authorities are again thinking about legalization]. «РБК» (RBK) (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Alternate archive as Вскормленная Пригожиным ЧВК: На наемников из российской "группы Вагнера" в Сирии потратили до 10,3 млрд руб. (Fed by Prigozhin PMC: Up to 10.3 billion rubles were spent on mercenaries from the Russian "Wagner Group" in Syria.)
  20. 1 2 3 4 Коротков, Денис (Korotkov, Denis) (14 November 2013). "Последний бой «Славянского корпуса»" [Last battle of the Slavic Corps]. Fontanka (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. ↑ Попов, Игорь (Popov, Igor) (2 September 2010). "Солдаты напрокат: Российские фирмы становятся все более заметными игроками на мировом рынке услуг частных военных компаний. Его объем — $120 млрд" [Soldiers for hire: Russian firms are becoming more and more prominent players in the global market for the services of private military companies. Its volume is $120 billion]. Forbes (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Atlernate archive
  22. ↑ Лютых, Сергей (Lyutykh, Sergey) (1 December 2018). "Умру за родину. Дорого Российские наемники погибают за границей, а дома им грозит тюрьма" [I will die for my homeland. Expensive Russian mercenaries die abroad, and at home they face prison] (in Russian). Retrieved 25 September 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. ↑ Коротков, Денис (Korotkov, Denis) (16 October 2015). "«Славянский корпус» возвращается в Сирию" ["Slavic Corps" returns to Syria]. Fontaka (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  24. ↑ "Славянский Корпус: О нас" [Slavonic Corps: About Us]. website (slavcorps.org) (in Russian). 22 October 2013. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  25. ↑ Коротков, Денис (Korotkov, Denis) (14 November 2013). "Последний бой «Славянского корпуса»" [The last battle of the "Slavic Corps"]. fontanka.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 14 November 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  26. 1 2 Miller, James (21 November 2013). "The Insane Story of Russian Mercenaries Fighting for the Syrian Regime: The Russian government almost assuredly knew about these mercenaries. Are there more companies like the Slavonic Corps, or was this the first disastrous test of the idea to send Russian mercenaries to Syria?". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  27. 1 2 "Командиры «Славянского корпуса» в Сирии осуждены за наемничество" [Commanders of the "Slavic Corps" in Syria convicted of mercenarism]. Fontanka (in Russian). 28 October 2014. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  28. ↑ Leviev, Ruslan (28 March 2019). В Сирии появилась новая ЧВК родом из Украины [In Syria, a new PMC hails from Ukraine]. citeam.org (in Russian). Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  29. 1 2 Matt (14 January 2014). "Industry Talk: The Slavonic Corps–A Russian PMSC In Syria". Feral Jundi. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  30. ↑ "Marshall Малофеев. Как российский рейдер захватил Юго-Восток Украины" [Marshall Malofeev. How a Russian raider captured the South-East of Ukraine]. The Insider (in Russian). 27 May 2014. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  31. ↑ Sukhankin, Sergey (25 June 2019). "From 'Volunteers' to Quasi-PMCs: Retracing the Footprints of Russian Irregulars in the Yugoslav Wars and Post-Soviet Conflicts". Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  32. ↑ Поликарпов, М. А. (Polikarpov, M. A.) (7 January 2023). "РУССКИЕ ДОБРОВОЛЬЦЫ В ЮГОСЛАВИИ В 1992–1995 ГГ.: ИСТОРИЯ И ПОТЕРИ" [RUSSIAN VOLUNTEERS IN YUGOSLAVIA IN 1992–1995: HISTORY AND LOSSES]. Информационное агентство REX (ИА REX) (iarex.ru) (in Russian). Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  33. ↑ Райкович, Драган (Rajković, Dragan) (19 August 2004). "Кто они:" [Who are they:]. «Српска.Ру» (srpska.ru) (in Russian). Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  34. ↑ Сочнев, Алексей (Sochnev, Alexey) (7 June 2016). "Национальность — мусульмане: Как на территории бывшей Югославии чуть не появилось исламское государство" [Nationality: Muslim: How an Islamic state almost appeared on the territory of the former Yugoslavia]. «Лента.Ру» (in Russian). Retrieved 24 November 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  35. ↑ "Putin Chef's Kisses of Death: Russia's Shadow Army's State-Run Structure Exposed". Bellingcat. 14 August 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  36. ↑ Sauer, Pjotr (7 August 2022). "Russia's private military contractor Wagner comes out of the shadows in Ukraine war: Mercenary group does not officially exist but is playing a more public role and openly recruiting in Russia". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  37. ↑ "«Славянский корпус» возвращается в Сирию: Набор добровольцев, желающих рискнуть головой за Башара Асада, открыт в России. «Фонтанка» узнала, как попасть на войну, сколько стоит жизнь солдата удачи и при чем здесь известный германский мистик-антисемит" ["Slavic Corps" returns to Syria: The recruitment of volunteers willing to risk their lives for Bashar al-Assad is open in Russia. Fontanka found out how to get to war, how much the life of a soldier of fortune costs, and what the famous German anti-Semitic mystic has to do with it.]. Фонтанка.ру (fontanka.ru) (in Russian). 16 October 2016. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  38. ↑ Яппарова, Лилия (Yapparova, Liliya) (12 July 2022). "Грубо говоря, мы начали войну Как отправка ЧВК Вагнера на фронт помогла Пригожину наладить отношения с Путиным — и что такое «собянинский полк». Расследование «Медузы» о наемниках на войне в Украине" [Roughly speaking, we started a war. How sending the Wagner PMC to the front helped Prigozhin improve relations with Putin - and what the "Sobyanin regiment" is. Meduza's investigation into mercenaries in the war in Ukraine]. Meduza (meduza.io) (in Russian). Archived from the original on 20 January 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  39. ↑ Малкова, Ирина (Malkova, Irina); Баев, Антон (Baev, Anton) (29 January 2019). "Частная армия для президента: история самого деликатного поручения Евгения Пригожина" [A private army for the president: the story of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s most delicate assignment]. The Bell (thebell.io) (in Russian). Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  40. ↑ Grove, Thomas (18 December 2015). "Up to Nine Russian Contractors Die in Syria, Experts Say: Incident shows how the country is using private groups to avoid deploying uniform troops, they say". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
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