Revealed: Russia's 'Secret Syria Mercenaries' | World News

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en" class="no-js" data-theme=""> <head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge,chrome=1"> <meta name="smartbanner:title" content="Sky News: Breaking, UK & World"> <meta name="smartbanner:author" content="Sky UK Limited"> <meta name="smartbanner:price" content="FREE"> <meta name="smartbanner:price-suffix-apple" content=" - On the App Store"> <meta name="smartbanner:price-suffix-google" content=" - In Google Play"> <meta name="smartbanner:icon-apple" content="https://e0.365dm.com/skynews/apple-touch-icon.png"> <meta name="smartbanner:icon-google" content="https://e0.365dm.com/skynews/apple-touch-icon.png"> <meta name="smartbanner:button" content="VIEW"> <meta name="smartbanner:button-url-apple" content="https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/sky-news-breaking-uk-world/id316391924"> <meta name="smartbanner:button-url-google" content="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bskyb.skynews.android"> <meta name="smartbanner:enabled-platforms" content="android"> <meta name="smartbanner:close-label" content="Close"> <meta name="smartbanner:hide-ttl" content="604800000"> <meta name="smartbanner:include-user-agent-regex" content="CriOS"> <meta name="smartbanner:disable-positioning" content="true"> <meta name="smartbanner:api" content="true"> <meta name="apple-itunes-app" content="app-id=316391924"> <meta property="al:web:should_fallback" content="false"> <link rel="manifest" href="/resources/manifest.json" crossOrigin="use-credentials"> <title>Revealed: Russia's 'Secret Syria Mercenaries' | World News | Sky News</title> <meta name="description" content="Sky News speaks to men who claim they were trained and flown on Russian military planes to assist troops loyal to Bashar al Assad."> <meta name="robots" content="NOODP,INDEX,FOLLOW,max-snippet:-1,max-image-preview:large,max-video-preview:-1"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=no"> <meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="True"> <link rel="canonical" href="https://news.sky.com/story/revealed-russias-secret-syria-mercenaries-10529248"> <link rel="amphtml" href="https://news.sky.com/story/amp/revealed-russias-secret-syria-mercenaries-10529248"> <link rel="icon" href="/resources/favicon.ico?v=2"> <link rel="icon" href="/resources/icon.svg?v=2" type="image/svg+xml"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/resources/apple-touch-icon.png?v=2"> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@skynews"> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Revealed: Russia's 'Secret Syria Mercenaries'"> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Sky News speaks to men who claim they were trained and flown on Russian military planes to assist troops loyal to Bashar al Assad."> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/768x432/90c7e1230833182dbba92173dd9420a9cc3228557898496d312b5b909dd06390_3761002.jpg?20160809164353"> <meta name="twitter:image:alt" content="One of the former mercenaries who claims he was trained and sent to fight in Syria"> <meta name="twitter:app:country" content="GB"> <meta name="twitter:app:id:iphone" content="316391924"> <meta name="twitter:app:id:ipad" content="316391924"> <meta name="twitter:app:id:googleplay" content="com.bskyb.skynews.android"> <meta property="fb:app_id" content="744976955573926"> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Sky News"> <meta property="og:locale" content="en_GB"> <meta property="og:title" content="Revealed: Russia's 'Secret Syria Mercenaries'"> <meta property="og:description" content="Sky News speaks to men who claim they were trained and flown on Russian military planes to assist troops loyal to Bashar al Assad."> <meta property="og:url" content="https://news.sky.com/story/revealed-russias-secret-syria-mercenaries-10529248"> <meta property="og:type" content="article"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/1600x900/90c7e1230833182dbba92173dd9420a9cc3228557898496d312b5b909dd06390_3761002.jpg?20160809164353"> <script type="application/ld+json"> {"@context": "http://schema.org","@type": "NewsArticle","alternativeHeadline": "Revealed: Russia's 'Secret Syria Mercenaries'","articleBody": "If Russia is a nation at war, the Kremlin has always been careful to frame its campaign in Syria as an aerial operation. Other than a limited number of 'instructors and military advisers', Russian officials have repeatedly stated that they do not need to put 'boots on the ground'.  The Russian narrative of low-cost conflict has been seriously challenged however by a group of young Russian men who claim that their country's involvement in Syria is far more extensive - and more costly - than anyone in President Putin's administration is prepared to admit.  These individuals told Sky News that they were recruited by a highly secretive private military company called 'Wagner' and flown to Syria aboard Russian military transport planes. For the equivalent of £3,000 a month, they say they were thrown into pitch battles and firefights with rebel factions - including Islamic State. Two of the group, Alexander and Dmitry, told Sky News they felt lucky to be alive.  \"It's 50-50,\" said Alexander (not his real name). \"Most people who go there for the money end up dead. Those who fight for ideals, to fight against the Americans, American special-forces, some ideology - they have a better chance of survival.\" \"Approximately 500 to 600 people have died there,\" claimed Dmitry. \"No one will ever find out about them…. that's the scariest thing. No one will ever know.\"   The country's Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev, warned in February that the deployment of ground troops by foreign powers could result in a \"world war\". He seems to have excluded the use of Russian mercenaries from that calculation, however - although analysts are not surprised. The deployment of military contractors is consistent with the Russian take on 'hybrid-war', according to military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer. He said: \"Obviously (Wagner) does exist. These kind of 'volunteers' do appear in different war zones, where the Russian government wants them to appear. So first in Crimea, then in Donbass, now in Syria. But they have not been legalised up till now.\" Private military companies are banned under the Russian constitution - but that is not something that seems to trouble the man who runs the operation. A former special forces soldier, he is known to his men as Nikolai Utkin. The only known picture of Mr Utkin was published earlier this year by St Petersburg-based newspaper 'Fontanka'. The paper described him as an aficionado of the aesthetics and ideology of the Nazi German Third Reich. His nom-de-guerre - Wagner - is thought to be a tribute to Hitler's favourite composer.  The company has recruited hundreds of men online, by posting temporary advertisements in military-themed chat rooms on one popular Russian website. Sky News obtained a record of a conversation between one recruit and a Wagner agent. It read: Recruit: I heard that Wagner is looking for guys. I was in the army in ….. division. Wagner: What sort of physical shape are you in?Recruit: I can run 10km. I can do 20 chin ups. Wagner: Can you do 3km in 13 minutes?Recruit: For sure! In the army I was doing 11km in 40 minutes.Wagner: Do you have any problems with the law, debts?Recruit: I have a problem with money. I want to buy an apartment.Wagner: Do you have a valid passport for travelling?Recruit: Yes, sure. Wagner: Ok, come to Molkino. You have a high chance of being selected.  Molkino is a small village in southern Russia that is home to a Ministry of Defence special forces base. Part of the base has been handed over to Wagner for the selection and training of recruits.  Alexander, who has conducted a number of missions to Syria, said he was aware of men of all abilities being accepted for training - even those who had never fired a gun. He said the training - which generally lasts from one to two months - was intense. He added: \"If the person hasn't been the army, he is trained from level zero. They're taught to be infantrymen - the usual cannon fodder. If the person has served in the artillery, reconnaissance, assault brigades - his skills are polished…. they teach you how to drive and use absolutely all the equipment they have.\"    Dmitry said recruits were given 'NATO-standard' kit to practise with. Both men soon found themselves deployed to the main Russian base on the Syrian coast.  Alexander said he was joined by more than 500 men. \"There were 564 soldiers with me and we were put up at the base,\" he added. \"We had two reconnaissance companies, one air defence company, two assault groups and foot troops, plus heavy artillery, tanks and so on.\"  Dmitry said he was joined by 900 others - but had second thoughts on arrival. He previously worked as an office secretary and had little military experience. \"We arrived at night at the airport,\" he said. \"What is it called? Hmay? Hymeem? Hhmemeen? (Khmeimim). Then we were put in trucks. To be honest I was scared. I don't have a strong build and I wasn't very good at the drills.\"  The Wagner fighters accused their commanders of sending them on 'suicide missions' designed to 'soften-up' the opposition before Syrian Army troops were sent in.     Alexander recounted the battle for the city of Palmyra, conducted earlier this year. He said: \"During the storming of Palmyra, we were used as cannon fodder. You could say that. Reconnaissance went forward first so they could observe and report. I knew three in that group - two died before they got to the city. From my assault company, 18 died. After us, those chickens from Assad's army followed and finished the job but we did most of the work.\"  The official number of Russians killed in Syria stands at 19. However, the Wagner fighters told Sky News they believed hundreds of their fellow employees have been killed.  They accuse the authorities of covering it up. \"Who will ever tell you about this? Sometimes the bodies are cremated but the papers say 'they're missing'. Sometimes the documents say the soldier was killed in Donbass (eastern Ukraine). Sometimes they say 'car accident' and so on,\" claimed Alexander.  Dmitry claimed hundreds of men have been left in Syria. \"Sometimes they are buried, sometimes they are not,\" he said. \"Sometimes they just dig a hole. It depends on how the commanders feel towards the person.\"   He is back in Moscow now but says the experience still stalks him. When he signed on with Wagner, Dmitry handed over his personal identification papers - an essential part of life in Russia. Upon his return, he went back to the training base to retrieve his documents but found himself arrested by police. An officer told him, unequivocally, that Wagner \"does not exist\". Dmitry told Sky News that there are 50 other men - Wagner survivors - now walking the streets of Moscow, traumatised and without papers. \"No one knows me,\" he said. \"They just threw me away.\"  :: For more of the accounts of the battlefield experiences of the two Russian Wagner soldiers, watch Sky News' exclusive report.","mainEntityOfPage": {"@type": "WebPage","url": "/story/revealed-russias-secret-syria-mercenaries-10529248"},"wordCount": "1172","inLanguage": "en-GB","genre": "world","publisher": {"@type": "Organization","@id": "#Publisher","name": "Sky","logo": {"@type": "ImageObject","@id": "#Logo","url": "https://news.sky.com/assets/sky-news-logo.svg?v=1","width": "255","height": "60"}},"headline": "Revealed: Russia's 'Secret Syria Mercenaries'","description": "Sky News speaks to men who claim they were trained and flown on Russian military planes to assist troops loyal to Bashar al Assad.","dateline": "London, UK","copyrightHolder": {"@id":"#Publisher"},"author": {"@type": "Person","name": "John Sparks, Moscow Correspondent" } ,"datePublished": "2016-08-09T14:33:00Z","dateModified": "2016-08-10T06:58:00Z","dateCreated": "2016-08-09T14:59:00Z","image": {"@type": "ImageObject","url": "https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/2048x1152/90c7e1230833182dbba92173dd9420a9cc3228557898496d312b5b909dd06390_3761002.jpg","width": 2048,"height": 1152 } ,"url":"/story/revealed-russias-secret-syria-mercenaries-10529248" } </script> <script type="application/ld+json"> {"@context": "https://schema.org","@type": "VideoObject","name": "Exclusive Report On Russia's Secret Mercenaries","description": "Sky News speaks exclusively to former mercenaries who say they were trained and taken on Russian military aircraft to fight alongside Bashar al Assad's troops in Syria.","thumbnailUrl": ["https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/150x150/96a1df042585ac6c41b349427fe618b5c555609e79aa08e590c85b004cb95109_3761011.jpg","https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/768x432/96a1df042585ac6c41b349427fe618b5c555609e79aa08e590c85b004cb95109_3761011.jpg","https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/800x600/96a1df042585ac6c41b349427fe618b5c555609e79aa08e590c85b004cb95109_3761011.jpg"],"uploadDate": "2016-08-08T13:47:03","duration": "PT0H7M40S","embedUrl": "https://news.sky.com/iframe/widget/video/3760364"} </script> <script type="application/ld+json"> {"@context": "https://schema.org","@type": "VideoObject","name": "Russian Helicopter Shot Down In Syria","description": "The Russian military has said that all five people on board one of its helicopters shot down in Syria have died.","thumbnailUrl": ["https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/150x150/adea2410c12ace01775488d5f98906e14621a97bf603b66ccd3b831e44e99cb4_3756014.jpg","https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/768x432/adea2410c12ace01775488d5f98906e14621a97bf603b66ccd3b831e44e99cb4_3756014.jpg","https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/800x600/adea2410c12ace01775488d5f98906e14621a97bf603b66ccd3b831e44e99cb4_3756014.jpg"],"uploadDate": "2016-08-01T13:56:40","duration": "PT0H0M17S","embedUrl": "https://news.sky.com/iframe/widget/video/3756007"} </script> <script type="application/ld+json"> {"@context": "https://schema.org","@type": "VideoObject","name": "Dispute Over Russia's View On Syria","description": "David Cameron claims President Vladimir Putin has explicitly called for Syria's President Assad to go - but this is denied by Russia. 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class="sdc-article-header__main"> <div class="sdc-article-header__titles"><h1 class="sdc-article-header__title sdc-site-component-header--h1" data-short-title="Revealed: Russia's 'Secret Syria Mercenaries'"><span class="sdc-article-header__long-title">Revealed: Russia's 'Secret Syria Mercenaries'</span></h1> <p class="sdc-article-header__sub-title sdc-site-component-header--h2">Sky News speaks to men who claim they were trained and flown on Russian military planes to assist troops loyal to Bashar al Assad.</p> </div> </div> <div class="sdc-article-author"> <p class="sdc-article-author__byline">By John Sparks, Moscow Correspondent </p> </div> <div class="sdc-article-header__details"> <div class="sdc-article-header__date-time"> <div class="sdc-article-date"> <div class="sdc-article-date__wrap"><span class="sdc-article-date__icon" aria-hidden="true"><svg height="13" viewBox="0 0 13 13" width="13" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path d="m6.5 0c-3.59003125 0-6.5 2.90996875-6.5 6.5 0 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</div> <div class="sdc-site-component-top__media"> <div class="sdc-article-widget sdc-site-video callfn" data-account-id="6058004172001" data-amp-iframe-embed="" data-asset-id="l2cnF2OTE60es2weFMmHzwve7WuNp_zs" data-asset-path="" data-asset-version="" data-autoplay="false" data-auth-config="" data-caption="Exclusive Report On Russia's Secret Mercenaries" data-clip-type="" data-component-name="sdc-site-video" data-competition="" data-copy-url-text="URL copied to clipboard" data-fn="sdc-site-video" data-id="id_l2cnF2OTE60es2weFMmHzwve7WuNp_zs" data-is-live-stream="false" data-lite="true" data-options="" data-originator-id="51" data-originator-handle="brightcove-news-gb" data-package-name="" data-provider="brightcove" data-player-id="RC9PQUaJ6" data-playsinline="" data-sensitive="" data-sdc-id="3760364" data-sdc-video-id="l2cnF2OTE60es2weFMmHzwve7WuNp_zs" data-sport-category="" data-state="loading" data-token-state="none" data-video-ad-unit="" data-video-blacklisted-originator-ids="" 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</span> <div class="sdc-site-video__bridge-message" data-role="bridge-message"><p data-role="bridge-message-text"></p></div> <video id="id_l2cnF2OTE60es2weFMmHzwve7WuNp_zs" data-embed="default" data-application-id class="video-js sdc-site-video__tag" controls playsinline ></video> </div> <figcaption class="sdc-site-video__caption ui-media-caption"> <span class="ui-media-caption__caption-text" data-role="caption-text">Exclusive Report On Russia's Secret Mercenaries</span> </figcaption> </div> </div> </div> <div class="sdc-site-layout-wrap site-wrap site-wrap-padding" data-type="article"> <div class="sdc-site-layout sdc-site-layout--alt1"> <div class="sdc-site-layout__col sdc-site-layout__col1"> <div class="site-share-wrapper site-component-vertical-margin site-wrap-padding sdc-article-body-width-limiter"> <div class="sdc-site-share sdc-site-share--loose sdc-site-share--align-left"> <ul class="sdc-site-share__list"> <li class="sdc-site-share__item"> <a 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-2.88-2.88zm1.8 15.12c0 .99-.81 1.8-1.8 1.8h-12.247c-.99 0-1.801-.81-1.801-1.8v-12.24c0-.99.81-1.8 1.8-1.8h12.249c.99 0 1.8.81 1.8 1.8v12.24z" fill-rule="nonzero"/><path d="m10.788 13.824h-3.548a.123.123 0 0 1 -.126-.126v-6.048a.161.161 0 0 0 -.162-.162h-3.17a.123.123 0 0 1 -.126-.126v-3.114c0-.072.054-.126.126-.126h10.446c.072 0 .126.054.126.126v3.132a.123.123 0 0 1 -.126.126h-3.188a.123.123 0 0 0 -.126.126v6.066a.123.123 0 0 1 -.126.126z"/></g></svg>Why you can trust Sky News<span class="sdc-trust-project__arrow-icon"></span></a> </div> <div class="sdc-article-body sdc-article-body--story sdc-article-body--lead" data-component-name="ui-article-body" data-highlight-intro="true" > <p>If Russia is a nation at war, the Kremlin has always been careful to frame its campaign in Syria as an aerial operation. </p><p>Other than a limited number of 'instructors and military advisers', Russian officials have repeatedly stated that they do not need to put 'boots on the ground'. </p><div class="sdc-site-outbrain sdc-site-outbrain--AR_6" aria-hidden="true" data-component-name="sdc-site-outbrain" data-target="" data-widget-mapping="" data-installation-keys="" > <div class="OUTBRAIN" data-src="https://news.sky.com/story/revealed-russias-secret-syria-mercenaries-10529248" data-ob-template="bskyb" data-widget-placement="" data-widget-id="AR_6" data-is-secured="true" data-consent-string="" data-consent-version="2"> </div> </div> <p>The Russian narrative of low-cost conflict has been seriously challenged however by a group of young Russian men who claim that their country's involvement in Syria is far more extensive - and more costly - than anyone in President Putin's administration is prepared to admit. </p><p>These individuals told Sky News that they were recruited by a highly secretive private military company called 'Wagner' and flown to Syria aboard Russian military transport planes.</p><div class="sdc-article-widget sdc-article-image"> <figure class="sdc-article-image__figure"> <div class="sdc-article-image__wrapper" data-aspect-ratio="16/9"> <img class="sdc-article-image__item" loading="lazy" intrinsicsize="768x432" src="https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/768x432/90c7e1230833182dbba92173dd9420a9cc3228557898496d312b5b909dd06390_3761002.jpg?20160809164353" srcset="https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/384x216/90c7e1230833182dbba92173dd9420a9cc3228557898496d312b5b909dd06390_3761002.jpg?20160809164353 380w, https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/768x432/90c7e1230833182dbba92173dd9420a9cc3228557898496d312b5b909dd06390_3761002.jpg?20160809164353 760w, https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/1600x900/90c7e1230833182dbba92173dd9420a9cc3228557898496d312b5b909dd06390_3761002.jpg?20160809164353 1024w, https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/2048x1152/90c7e1230833182dbba92173dd9420a9cc3228557898496d312b5b909dd06390_3761002.jpg?20160809164353 2048w" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 1024px, 100vw" alt="One of the former mercenaries who claims he was trained and sent to fight in Syria"> </div> <figcaption class="ui-media-caption"> <span class="u-hide-visually">Image:</span> <span class="ui-media-caption__caption-text">One of the former mercenaries who claims he was trained and sent to fight in Syria </span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>For the equivalent of £3,000 a month, they say they were thrown into pitch battles and firefights with rebel factions - including Islamic State.</p><div class="ad ad--teads"> <div class="ui-advert " data-role="advert-unit" data-testid="advert-unit" data-ad-format="teads" data-type="" data-label="" style="" > <script> document.currentScript.parentNode.config = {"id":"teads","ad-type":"teads","targeting":{"platform":"live","advert-targeting":"'platform': 'live'","artId":"10529248"},"size":{"mobile":[[4,4]],"tablet":[[4,4]],"desktop":[[4,4]]}} </script> <div class="ui-advert-slot" id="teads" data-role="advert-slot" data-testid="advert-slot"></div> </div> </div> <p>Two of the group, Alexander and Dmitry, told Sky News they felt lucky to be alive. </p><p>"It's 50-50," said Alexander (not his real name). "Most people who go there for the money end up dead. Those who fight for ideals, to fight against the Americans, American special-forces, some ideology - they have a better chance of survival."</p> <div class="sdc-article-widget sdc-article-related-stories sdc-article-related-stories--thumbnails" data-component-name="sdc-article-related-stories"> <div class="sdc-article-related-stories__content"> <h3 class="sdc-article-related-stories__title">More from World</h3> <ul class="sdc-article-related-stories__list"> <li class="sdc-article-related-stories__item"> <a class="sdc-article-related-stories__link" href="/story/syria-says-its-strikes-with-russia-have-killed-at-least-400-insurgents-over-past-24-hours-13265595"> <div class="sdc-article-related-stories__image-wrap"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://e3.365dm.com/24/12/192x108/skynews-aleppo-syria_6764735.jpg?20241202213924" alt="People walk past a damaged site in Aleppo. Pic: Reuters" class="sdc-article-related-stories__image" /> </div> <p class="sdc-article-related-stories__link-text"> Syria says its strikes with Russia have killed at least 400 insurgents over past 24 hours </p> </a> </li> <li class="sdc-article-related-stories__item"> <a class="sdc-article-related-stories__link" href="/story/israel-threatens-harsh-response-after-hezbollah-fires-at-idf-in-ceasefire-violation-13265494"> <div class="sdc-article-related-stories__image-wrap"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://e3.365dm.com/24/12/192x108/skynews-hezbollah-israel_6764641.jpg?20241202180542" alt="Smoke rises over southern Lebanon, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, as seen from Israel's border with Lebanon, in northern Israel, December 1, 2024. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov" class="sdc-article-related-stories__image" /> </div> <p class="sdc-article-related-stories__link-text"> Israel threatens to 'respond with force' after Hezbollah fires towards IDF in 'ceasefire violation' </p> </a> </li> <li class="sdc-article-related-stories__item"> <a class="sdc-article-related-stories__link" href="/story/french-government-heading-towards-collapse-as-pm-barnier-faces-no-confidence-vote-13265463"> <div class="sdc-article-related-stories__image-wrap"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://e3.365dm.com/24/12/192x108/skynews-michel-barnier-france_6764506.jpg?20241202164305" alt="French Prime Minister Michel Barnier. Pic: Reuters" class="sdc-article-related-stories__image" /> </div> <p class="sdc-article-related-stories__link-text"> French government heading towards collapse as PM Barnier faces no-confidence vote </p> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <p>"Approximately 500 to 600 people have died there," claimed Dmitry. "No one will ever find out about them…. that's the scariest thing. No one will ever know."  </p> <div class="sdc-article-widget sdc-article-image"> <figure class="sdc-article-image__figure"> <div class="sdc-article-image__wrapper" data-aspect-ratio="16/9"> <img class="sdc-article-image__item" loading="lazy" intrinsicsize="768x432" src="https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/768x432/f5d2b3cd3a0709087ab361f82c444b340a0962c1ec40483c36b896aea14960be_3761010.jpg?20160809165656" srcset="https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/384x216/f5d2b3cd3a0709087ab361f82c444b340a0962c1ec40483c36b896aea14960be_3761010.jpg?20160809165656 380w, https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/768x432/f5d2b3cd3a0709087ab361f82c444b340a0962c1ec40483c36b896aea14960be_3761010.jpg?20160809165656 760w, https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/1600x900/f5d2b3cd3a0709087ab361f82c444b340a0962c1ec40483c36b896aea14960be_3761010.jpg?20160809165656 1024w, https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/2048x1152/f5d2b3cd3a0709087ab361f82c444b340a0962c1ec40483c36b896aea14960be_3761010.jpg?20160809165656 2048w" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 1024px, 100vw" alt="Russian mercenaries are alleged to have fought in eastern Ukraine"> </div> <figcaption class="ui-media-caption"> <span class="u-hide-visually">Image:</span> <span class="ui-media-caption__caption-text">Russian mercenaries are alleged to have fought in eastern Ukraine </span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>The country's Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev, warned in February that the deployment of ground troops by foreign powers could result in a "world war".</p> <div class="sdc-site-layout-sticky-region" data-interscroller="false" data-format="floated-mpu" data-role="sticky-region" data-component-name="sdc-site-layout"> <div class="sdc-site-layout-sticky-region__target"> <div class="sdc-site-layout-sticky-region__mask"> <div class="sdc-site-layout-sticky-region__content"> <div class="ui-advert " data-role="advert-unit" data-testid="advert-unit" data-ad-format="mpu-1" data-type="" data-label="true" style="margin-bottom: var(--gap-500)" > <script> document.currentScript.parentNode.config = {"id":"mpu-1","ad-type":"mpu-1","showLabel":true,"targeting":{"platform":"live","advert-targeting":"'platform': 'live'","artId":"10529248"},"size":{"mobile":[[300,250],[300,600]],"tablet":[[300,250],[300,600]],"desktop":[[300,250],[300,600]]}} </script> <div class="ui-advert-slot" id="mpu-1" data-role="advert-slot" data-testid="advert-slot"></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p>He seems to have excluded the use of Russian mercenaries from that calculation, however - although analysts are not surprised.</p><p>The deployment of military contractors is consistent with the Russian take on 'hybrid-war', according to military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer.</p><p>He said: "Obviously (Wagner) does exist. These kind of 'volunteers' do appear in different war zones, where the Russian government wants them to appear. So first in Crimea, then in Donbass, now in Syria. But they have not been legalised up till now."</p><p>Private military companies are banned under the Russian constitution - but that is not something that seems to trouble the man who runs the operation.</p> <div class="sdc-article-widget sdc-article-image"> <figure class="sdc-article-image__figure"> <div class="sdc-article-image__wrapper" data-aspect-ratio="16/9"> <img class="sdc-article-image__item" loading="lazy" intrinsicsize="768x432" src="https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/768x432/e143ff3ce172a20a276d0a2ed681b344febbb880f5699cec664b9bb4879cf62d_3760987.jpg?20160809162658" srcset="https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/384x216/e143ff3ce172a20a276d0a2ed681b344febbb880f5699cec664b9bb4879cf62d_3760987.jpg?20160809162658 380w, https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/768x432/e143ff3ce172a20a276d0a2ed681b344febbb880f5699cec664b9bb4879cf62d_3760987.jpg?20160809162658 760w, https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/1600x900/e143ff3ce172a20a276d0a2ed681b344febbb880f5699cec664b9bb4879cf62d_3760987.jpg?20160809162658 1024w, https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/2048x1152/e143ff3ce172a20a276d0a2ed681b344febbb880f5699cec664b9bb4879cf62d_3760987.jpg?20160809162658 2048w" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 1024px, 100vw" alt="The only known image of the shadowy head of Wagner Nikolai Utkin. Pic: Fontanka"> </div> <figcaption class="ui-media-caption"> <span class="u-hide-visually">Image:</span> <span class="ui-media-caption__caption-text">The only known image of the shadowy head of Wagner Nikolai Utkin. Pic: Fontanka </span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>A former special forces soldier, he is known to his men as Nikolai Utkin.</p><p>The only known picture of Mr Utkin was published earlier this year by St Petersburg-based newspaper 'Fontanka'.</p><p>The paper described him as an aficionado of the aesthetics and ideology of the Nazi German Third Reich.</p><p>His nom-de-guerre - Wagner - is thought to be a tribute to Hitler's favourite composer. </p><p>The company has recruited hundreds of men online, by posting temporary advertisements in military-themed chat rooms on one popular Russian website.</p> <div class="sdc-article-widget sdc-article-image"> <figure class="sdc-article-image__figure"> <div class="sdc-article-image__wrapper" data-aspect-ratio="16/9"> <img class="sdc-article-image__item" loading="lazy" intrinsicsize="768x432" src="https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/768x432/4ef9aab811763f96bd4958ca917dffb8f5ce759ce53b03f49227d613131ad40b_3761012.jpg?20160809165856" srcset="https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/384x216/4ef9aab811763f96bd4958ca917dffb8f5ce759ce53b03f49227d613131ad40b_3761012.jpg?20160809165856 380w, https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/768x432/4ef9aab811763f96bd4958ca917dffb8f5ce759ce53b03f49227d613131ad40b_3761012.jpg?20160809165856 760w, https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/1600x900/4ef9aab811763f96bd4958ca917dffb8f5ce759ce53b03f49227d613131ad40b_3761012.jpg?20160809165856 1024w, https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/2048x1152/4ef9aab811763f96bd4958ca917dffb8f5ce759ce53b03f49227d613131ad40b_3761012.jpg?20160809165856 2048w" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 1024px, 100vw" alt="The men say they were taken from Russia to Syria on Russian military aircraft"> </div> <figcaption class="ui-media-caption"> <span class="u-hide-visually">Image:</span> <span class="ui-media-caption__caption-text">The men say they were taken from Russia to Syria on Russian military aircraft </span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>Sky News obtained a record of a conversation between one recruit and a Wagner agent. It read:</p><p>Recruit: I heard that Wagner is looking for guys. I was in the army in ….. division. <br />Wagner: What sort of physical shape are you in?<br />Recruit: I can run 10km. I can do 20 chin ups. <br />Wagner: Can you do 3km in 13 minutes?<br />Recruit: For sure! In the army I was doing 11km in 40 minutes.<br />Wagner: Do you have any problems with the law, debts?<br />Recruit: I have a problem with money. I want to buy an apartment.<br />Wagner: Do you have a valid passport for travelling?<br />Recruit: Yes, sure. <br />Wagner: Ok, come to Molkino. You have a high chance of being selected. </p><p>Molkino is a small village in southern Russia that is home to a Ministry of Defence special forces base. Part of the base has been handed over to Wagner for the selection and training of recruits. </p><p>Alexander, who has conducted a number of missions to Syria, said he was aware of men of all abilities being accepted for training - even those who had never fired a gun.</p><p>He said the training - which generally lasts from one to two months - was intense.</p><p>He added: "If the person hasn't been the army, he is trained from level zero. They're taught to be infantrymen - the usual cannon fodder. If the person has served in the artillery, reconnaissance, assault brigades - his skills are polished…. they teach you how to drive and use absolutely all the equipment they have."   </p><p>Dmitry said recruits were given 'NATO-standard' kit to practise with.</p> <div class="sdc-article-widget sdc-article-image"> <figure class="sdc-article-image__figure"> <div class="sdc-article-image__wrapper" data-aspect-ratio="16/9"> <img class="sdc-article-image__item" loading="lazy" intrinsicsize="768x432" src="https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/768x432/7ec0f82286f18c4d3b471e4fad4996b3d49435eb03582efb71bf57621d87f0e1_3761015.jpg?20160809165951" srcset="https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/384x216/7ec0f82286f18c4d3b471e4fad4996b3d49435eb03582efb71bf57621d87f0e1_3761015.jpg?20160809165951 380w, https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/768x432/7ec0f82286f18c4d3b471e4fad4996b3d49435eb03582efb71bf57621d87f0e1_3761015.jpg?20160809165951 760w, https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/1600x900/7ec0f82286f18c4d3b471e4fad4996b3d49435eb03582efb71bf57621d87f0e1_3761015.jpg?20160809165951 1024w, https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/2048x1152/7ec0f82286f18c4d3b471e4fad4996b3d49435eb03582efb71bf57621d87f0e1_3761015.jpg?20160809165951 2048w" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 1024px, 100vw" alt="Some of the men Sky News spoke to say they took part in the battle for Palmyra"> </div> <figcaption class="ui-media-caption"> <span class="u-hide-visually">Image:</span> <span class="ui-media-caption__caption-text">Some of the men Sky News spoke to say they took part in the battle for Palmyra </span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>Both men soon found themselves deployed to the main Russian base on the Syrian coast. </p><p>Alexander said he was joined by more than 500 men.</p><p>"There were 564 soldiers with me and we were put up at the base," he added. "We had two reconnaissance companies, one air defence company, two assault groups and foot troops, plus heavy artillery, tanks and so on." </p><p>Dmitry said he was joined by 900 others - but had second thoughts on arrival.</p><p>He previously worked as an office secretary and had little military experience.</p><p>"We arrived at night at the airport," he said. "What is it called? Hmay? Hymeem? Hhmemeen? (Khmeimim). Then we were put in trucks. To be honest I was scared. I don't have a strong build and I wasn't very good at the drills." </p><p>The Wagner fighters accused their commanders of sending them on 'suicide missions' designed to 'soften-up' the opposition before Syrian Army troops were sent in.    </p><p>Alexander recounted the battle for the city of Palmyra, conducted earlier this year.</p><p>He said: "During the storming of Palmyra, we were used as cannon fodder. You could say that. Reconnaissance went forward first so they could observe and report. I knew three in that group - two died before they got to the city. From my assault company, 18 died. After us, those chickens from Assad's army followed and finished the job but we did most of the work." </p><p>The official number of Russians killed in Syria stands at 19. However, the Wagner fighters told Sky News they believed hundreds of their fellow employees have been killed. </p><p>They accuse the authorities of covering it up.</p><p>"Who will ever tell you about this? Sometimes the bodies are cremated but the papers say 'they're missing'. Sometimes the documents say the soldier was killed in Donbass (eastern Ukraine). Sometimes they say 'car accident' and so on," claimed Alexander. </p> <div class="sdc-article-widget sdc-article-image"> <figure class="sdc-article-image__figure"> <div class="sdc-article-image__wrapper" data-aspect-ratio="16/9"> <img class="sdc-article-image__item" loading="lazy" intrinsicsize="768x432" src="https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/768x432/42fdf278ad5672afe80898fde39d88561ba2459175a1652af9af7e1aa7773509_3761016.jpg?20160809170111" srcset="https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/384x216/42fdf278ad5672afe80898fde39d88561ba2459175a1652af9af7e1aa7773509_3761016.jpg?20160809170111 380w, https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/768x432/42fdf278ad5672afe80898fde39d88561ba2459175a1652af9af7e1aa7773509_3761016.jpg?20160809170111 760w, https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/1600x900/42fdf278ad5672afe80898fde39d88561ba2459175a1652af9af7e1aa7773509_3761016.jpg?20160809170111 1024w, https://e3.365dm.com/16/08/2048x1152/42fdf278ad5672afe80898fde39d88561ba2459175a1652af9af7e1aa7773509_3761016.jpg?20160809170111 2048w" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 1024px, 100vw" alt="Photos apparently captured by Islamic State fighters during the battle for Palmyra appear to show Russian mercenaries in Ukraine"> </div> <figcaption class="ui-media-caption"> <span class="u-hide-visually">Image:</span> <span class="ui-media-caption__caption-text">Photos apparently captured by IS fighters appear to show Russian mercenaries </span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>Dmitry claimed hundreds of men have been left in Syria.</p><p>"Sometimes they are buried, sometimes they are not," he said. "Sometimes they just dig a hole. It depends on how the commanders feel towards the person."  </p><p>He is back in Moscow now but says the experience still stalks him. When he signed on with Wagner, Dmitry handed over his personal identification papers - an essential part of life in Russia. Upon his return, he went back to the training base to retrieve his documents but found himself arrested by police. An officer told him, unequivocally, that Wagner "does not exist".</p><p>Dmitry told Sky News that there are 50 other men - Wagner survivors - now walking the streets of Moscow, traumatised and without papers.</p><p>"No one knows me," he said. "They just threw me away." </p><p><a href="http://news.sky.com/video/exclusive-russias-secret-mercenaries-10529339" target="_blank"><strong>:: For more of the accounts of the battlefield experiences of the two Russian Wagner soldiers, watch Sky News' exclusive report.</strong></a></p> </div> </div> <div class="sdc-site-layout__col sdc-site-layout__col2"></div> </div> </div> <div class="wrap wrap-site-width wrap-auto-align wrap-gutter"> <div class="sdc-site-outbrain sdc-site-outbrain--AR_3" aria-hidden="true" data-component-name="sdc-site-outbrain" data-target="" data-widget-mapping="" data-installation-keys="" > <div class="OUTBRAIN" data-src="https://news.sky.com/story/revealed-russias-secret-syria-mercenaries-10529248" data-ob-template="skynews" data-widget-placement="" data-widget-id="AR_3" data-is-secured="true" data-consent-string="" data-consent-version="2"> </div> <div id="outbrain-container"> <script id="outbrain-script"></script> </div> </div> <br> </div> </div> </div> </main> <footer class="ui-news-footer display-100" role="contentinfo" aria-labelledby="site-footer" data-testid="site-footer" data-component-name="ui-news-footer"> <h2 id="site-footer" class="u-hide-visually">Sky News footer</h2> <div class="wrap wrap-auto-align wrap-gutter wrap-site-width gap-500"> <div class="ui-news-footer-social" data-testid="site-footer-social"> <ul class="grid-flex display-fixed-200" style="--grow:0; 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