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How a 4-Hour Battle Between Russian Mercenaries and U.S. Commandos Unfolded in Syria

Rogue Valley

Rogue Valley

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How a 4-Hour Battle Between Russian Mercenaries and U.S. Commandos Unfolded in Syria

180202-Z-FF470-014C.JPG

United States F-22 stealth fighter jets above Syria

5/24/18

WASHINGTON — The artillery barrage was so intense that the American commandos dived into foxholes for protection, emerging covered in flying dirt and debris to fire back at a column of tanks advancing under the heavy shelling. It was the opening salvo in a nearly four-hour assault in February by around 500 pro-Syrian government forces — including Russian mercenaries — that threatened to inflame already-simmering tensions between Washington and Moscow. In the end, 200 to 300 of the attacking fighters were killed. The others retreated under merciless airstrikes from the United States, returning later to retrieve their battlefield dead. None of the Americans at the small outpost in eastern Syria — about 40 by the end of the firefight — were harmed.
The details of the Feb. 7 firefight were gleaned from interviews and documents newly obtained by The New York Times. They provide the Pentagon’s first public on-the-ground accounting of one of the single bloodiest battles the American military has faced in Syria since deploying to fight the Islamic State. The firefight was described by the Pentagon as an act of self-defense against a unit of pro-Syrian government forces. In interviews, United States military officials said they had watched — with dread — hundreds of approaching rival troops, vehicles and artillery pieces in the week leading up to the attack.....
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I have to stop about here. The story is continued at the page link above. Very interesting. The Russians killed at the Conoco outpost were kontrakniki (contract) employees of the Wagner Group, the largest PMC in Russia. The Kremlin uses such forces openly in Ukraine and Syria, or when Moscow seeks deniability. Wagner liaises with Russian military officers. The Wagner Group is owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the same Russian oligarch that owns the Internet Research Agency (Russian troll factory) in St. Petersburg, Russia.
 
Would it be accurate to compare these kontrakniki with the "Little Green Men" who took over part of Ukraine?
 
PS: if you search YouTube or LiveLeak, you might still find audio (with pics) of the two way radio communications between the kontrakniki along with English translations. Basically, you'll be hearing them screaming about how badly they're getting their asses kicked.
 
Checkerboard Strangler said:
Would it be accurate to compare these kontrakniki with the "Little Green Men" who took over part of Ukraine?
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Yes, they are likely the same people. Putin loves these paramilitary corporations because he can shrug his shoulders and pretend he has no idea what these "rogue" forces are doing.
 
Rogue Valley said:
How a 4-Hour Battle Between Russian Mercenaries and U.S. Commandos Unfolded in Syria

180202-Z-FF470-014C.JPG

United States F-22 stealth fighter jets above Syria



I have to stop about here. The story is continued at the page link above. Very interesting. The Russians killed at the Conoco outpost were kontrakniki (contract) employees of the Wagner Group, the largest PMC in Russia. The Kremlin uses such forces openly in Ukraine and Syria, or when Moscow seeks deniability. Wagner liaises with Russian military officers. The Wagner Group is owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the same Russian oligarch that owns the Internet Research Agency (Russian troll factory) in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Click to expand...

Most excellent. The more dead Russian military/mercs, the better.
 
RabidAlpaca said:
Yes, they are likely the same people. Putin loves these paramilitary corporations because he can shrug his shoulders and pretend he has no idea what these "rogue" forces are doing.
Click to expand...

That's precisely what the official Kremlin response was during the Ukraine campaign.
 
Checkerboard Strangler said:
Would it be accurate to compare these kontrakniki with the "Little Green Men" who took over part of Ukraine?
Click to expand...

No. The "Little Green Men" that took over Crimea were Russian GRU/Spetznaz soldiers (Russia's Special OPs troops).

However, Wagner kontrakniki do operate in the partially occupied eastern Ukraine Oblasts (regions) of Luhansk and Donetsk along with pro-Russia rebels (30,000) and regular Russian soldiers in reserve (15,000).

Russian kontrakniki are almost always ex-Russian soldiers, alcoholics, with other sundry addictions. They're not pleasant.
 
RabidAlpaca said:
Yes, they are likely the same people. Putin loves these paramilitary corporations because he can shrug his shoulders and pretend he has no idea what these "rogue" forces are doing.
Click to expand...


They get their gear , weapons and financing from somewhere. So where would a " Rogue " paramilitary unit get such things ?



Major Lambda
 
Rogue Valley said:
How a 4-Hour Battle Between Russian Mercenaries and U.S. Commandos Unfolded in Syria

180202-Z-FF470-014C.JPG

United States F-22 stealth fighter jets above Syria



I have to stop about here. The story is continued at the page link above. Very interesting. The Russians killed at the Conoco outpost were kontrakniki (contract) employees of the Wagner Group, the largest PMC in Russia. The Kremlin uses such forces openly in Ukraine and Syria, or when Moscow seeks deniability. Wagner liaises with Russian military officers. The Wagner Group is owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the same Russian oligarch that owns the Internet Research Agency (Russian troll factory) in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Click to expand...


"American intelligence officials say that the Wagner Group, known by the nickname of the retired Russian officer who leads it, is in Syria to seize oil and gas fields and protect them on behalf of the Assad government. The mercenaries earn of a share of the production proceeds from the oil fields they reclaim, officials said."


Oil fields as an objective? By a described....rogue military unit? To secure for the Syrian Regime?

Sounds odd does it not ? It does to me.

Artillery pounding American Forces with a significant amount of air power deployed. Sounds odd to me....does it not sound odd to you?

The news story is full of holes in my opinion.





Major Lambda
 
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