Putin’s Use of Private Military Companies To Wage Terror on Ukraine

In recent years, 37 Russian Private Military Companies (PMCs) have been present in 34 countries worldwide, 26 of them in Ukraine, from 2014 to the present. Putin created a storm of controversy when he declared “de-Nazification” as one of Russia’s invasion “objectives.” 

This statement, along with other things he has said, is exceptionally ironic as the Kremlin has entrenched ties to hardline Nazi PMC units.

PMCs are technically illegal in Russia under Article 13.5 of the Russian Constitution, yet have become a key component of Russia’s war strategy, using them in a sinister manner. They’ve multiplied worldwide, establishing military footholds, altering balances of power, collecting intelligence, and waging aggressive violence. 

PMCs allow the Kremlin to conduct criminal warfare activities while providing an opportunity for plausible deniability. 

“You can use mercenaries to do not only the dirty jobs but also the high-risk ones that you don’t want to leave to your Special Forces”

Danilo Delle Fave

Intelligence and military strategy analyst

Russia’s Dirty Work:

Ukraine served as one of the proving grounds for Russian PMC groups, starting in 2014 with Wagner, who arguably became one of the most “infamous” groups worldwide. Wagner recruited via billboards, at schools, and even on Pornhub. 

PMCs are often registered through shell companies abroad, or sometimes, not registered at all. Due to their illegal status, Putin denied the Kremlin’s use of PMC groups and, in early 2023, even claimed that Wagner didn’t exist. 

Russia has PMCs in Ukraine and countries such as Syria, Libya, sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, the Central African Republic, and many more.

Russian PMCs are quasi-state actors, intimately connected to, or even developed by the Kremlin.They provide Russia with the tools to globally expand influence and geo-political goals. They can extract resources and trade in developing countries while limiting sanctions against them, generating revenue from oil, gas, and minerals. 

They also serve as a tool to expand soft power and "Russian patriotism" among ideologically minded civilians. They support aggressive propaganda campaigns promoting pro-Russian and separatist narratives by opening “patriotic youth camps” such as “Wagnerenok”. 

The secretive ‘Redut System’ of the Russian Federation

“Redut” (Redoubt) is neither a private company nor a company, but a scheme created, managed, and funded by the Russian Federation to recruit people for the war against Ukraine. Disguised as a PMC, according to investigations, there is an estimated 20 groups who have signed contracts with them.

An in-depth investigation by Radio Svoboda found links directly to Russia’s military intelligence (GRU) along with evidence of torture, murder, and looting.

The investigation found that soldiers contracts are often signed virtually, and often no copy is given to them so their participation of in fighting in Ukraine is harder to prove. Russian authorities have even denied soldiers involvement in fighting for Redut after family members seek death benefits. 

Radio Svoboda reported that Redut-linked Wolves battalion became encircled by Ukrainian forces in Balaklia, Kharkiv in September 2022. Four Russian soldiers were captured and convicted of torturing civilians and sentenced to prison. While being captured, they left evidence of their links to the Russian government. 

Reduts “murky and off the books nature” allows the Russian Government to evade blame for all kinds of issues that they may face and are able to maintain a layer of legal distance from their fighters and units. 

Aleksandr Kopyltsov, a sniper for the “Wolves” part of Reduts formation, was killed in late March 2022 near Kyiv. According to the investigation, “Kopyltsov’s relatives subsequently attempted to receive death benefits from the Russian government but hit repeated roadblocks.

They received at least five letters from the Russian Defense Ministry and military prosecutors saying there was no record that he had fought under Defense Ministry forces or “volunteer” groups in Ukraine.”

Wagner

On August 25, 2024, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement regarding concerns about a current troop build-up on the Belarus border and noted the presence of former Wagner mercenaries.

In 2023, Wagner leader and oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin's long friendship with Putin “ turned ugly.” Prigozhin was openly angered and claimed the incompetence of Russia’s top military men, taking control of military headquarters in Rostov and marching on Moscow in a June 23-24 mutiny. Russian authorities no longer controlled this PMC, which was a major threat to Moscow. 

After Wagner's failed uprising, Putin finally admitted that “the maintenance of the entire Wagner Group was fully provided for by the state”. He cast the mutineers as traitors and said that Wagner could either join the Russian army or go to Belarus with Prigozhin. 

Just over a month later, Prigozhin died in a plane crash along with nine others. After his death, some signed a contract with the state, and others joined various PMCs. 

Before their relationship turned sour, Prigozhin claimed that over “5,000 criminals have been released on pardon after completing their contracts with Wagner.” Joining this Russian state-funded PMC gave violent criminals a key to “freedom”.  

“Mykhail K. was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2016 for tying up an acquaintance and raping him with an object. The victim was injured in the abdomen and small pelvis, which resulted in death”.

“Aleksandr T. was sentenced to 23 years in prison in 2021 for ordering the murder of a family of four, including two children.”

“Roman L. was sentenced to 17 years in prison in 2014 for killing his mother and sister and then burning their bodies.”All three men served for Wagner in Ukraine during their sentences, a project against corruption and torture in Russia found. 

DShRG Rusich

PMC Rusich is a neo-Nazi unit known to be particularly violent, first seen in the battle of Donetsk airport in 2014. Their crimes range from, but are not limited to, chopping off hands to rape and carving swastikas in cheeks. 

PMC Rusich is thought to operate as a sub-unit of Wagner. They justify torture and, as they put it, become mesmerized by the “smell of burnt Ukrainian people.” 

Via Telegram, Rusich has called for genocide against the adult population of Ukraine through "scientific experiments," raising boys as "slaves in the service of Russia" and girls "to be deprived of their civil rights and distributed to Russian soldiers for 2–3 persons on one soldier."

In 2017, Rusich trained Russian minors at the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Defense training grounds, which was likely funded from the state budget. 

On August 18 2024, Rusich PMC wrote a post on telegram requesting a Ukrainian prisoner of war for human sacrifice, "We ask the allied units to provide us with one captured Ukrainian (preferably not a full-fledged Slav, but a smoked Crimean Tatar or something similar) to perform a ritual sacrifice to the Slavic Gods on the holiday of the autumn equinox to encourage and strengthen the spirit of the new personnel of the unit."

This came after they published a video of what is claimed to be a beheaded Ukrainian soldier.

Oleksiy Yuriyovych Milchakov, one of the leaders and founders of Rusich PMC, openly talks about being a Nazi and was first noted for his violent crimes after sharing videos killing a puppy, cutting off its head, and then eating it. His violence only grew from there spilling onto the frontlines in Ukraine. 

In 2015, Milchakov was included in the EU sanctions list. In September 2022, Milchakov, Petrovsky (another Rusich commander and "DShRG Rusich" were sanctioned by the US for the special cruelty shown during fighting in the Kharkiv region.

Espanola

Espanola officially declared its PMC formation in February 2024, formed originally as the Vostok battalion of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR). 

Espanola is one of Russia’s latest PMCs. Acquired and financed by Putin’s “United Russia” party who promised their new recruits 220,000 rubles, around $2,300 a month for the direct participation in hostilities against Ukraine, in a contract lasting for half a year.

They actively recruit sympathizers of Nazi-ideology, football ultras, and civilians from Russia and Ukraine’s occupied territories, according to the Ukrainian Defence Intelligence.

Its commander, Mikhail "Pitbull" Turkanov, a man covered in swastika tattoos, is on the US sanctions list.

Espanola is sponsored by Viktor Shendrik who previously served in Vympel unit, one of Russia’s most secretive FSB special forces and is part of the “Redut / Redoubt system”, overseen by Deputy Chief of the GRU Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseev. 

Espanola consists of reconnaissance units, attack aircraft, artillery, electronic warfare, unmanned aerial vehicles, and snipers. They proudly claim to have taken part in the battle and occupation of Avdiivka, the Siege of Mariupol, and fighting in other regions across Ukraine. 

AKHMAT

AKHMAT PMC is, according to sources, a self-funded group with around 3,500 troops. Ramzan Kadyrov is the head of Akhmat and the self-proclaimed head of the Chechen Republic following his father's lead. Kadyrov brought troops to Ukraine in 2022 and is under sanctions from the EU, US, UK, and more. 

Previously, his father Akhmad Kadyrov was fighting for Chechen freedom against the Soviet Union, but during the Second Chechen war, Kadyrov, switched allegiances to Russia. Putin ultimately appointed Kadyrov as head of the pro-Kremlin Chechen Republic. He was then assassinated in 2004, where his son, Ramzan, would take his father's place with Putin’s blessing.

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War in Ukraine

Who Are the “TikTok Soldiers” Using Occupied Ukrainian Cities As Their Backdrop?

Aug 20, 2024 17:57

The Akhmat PMC is also known as the ‘Tik Tok brigade’. For Chechen fighters TikTok serves as a tool for psychological warfare depicting strength, aiming to strike fear in the hearts of their enemies, while bolstering support back home. 

However, many of their videos are easily discredited and found to be badly staged. Even so, they are no doubt, dangerous. They’ve been found to torture innocent civilians along with torturing their own who refuse to fight or retreat. 

According to sources, some Akhmat soldiers, among those from other battalions, surrendered to Ukraine during the current Kursk incursion. It was the largest one-time surrender during the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine. There are however many of their fighters, still on Ukrainian soil.

Gazpromneft Security

Gazpromneft Security was formed by Gazprom, a major Russian oil company, which reportedly created the PMC to protect oil and gas production and storage sites, particularly in the Arctic. 

Russia has long utilized Gazprom’s oil and gas as a political tool, after President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted in February 2014, they hiked gas prices for Ukraine by 80%. 

The BBC found that there are more than one Gazprom-linked PMCs, Fakel (Torch); Potok (Torrent); Plamya (Flame) made up with Gazprom employees. 

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has his own PMC named; Patriot. It was previously associated with activities in Syria and the Central African Republic, but has been found to have engaged in combat activities in Ukraine, specifically in the attacks against the cities of Bakhmut and Vuhledar. 

E.N.O.T. Corp, MAR, ATK-GROUP and Slavonic Corps Limited are just a few of the more well-known PMC groups.

PMC warfare, fraud, and spying for Russia

It’s not just Russian nationals who are contracted to PMCs, but in some cases foreigners too—such as Serbians to Wagner. 

International businessmen also are enticed by the lawlessness of PMCs. A recent in-depth investigation highlights the journey of a wanted fugitive, an Austrian national named Jan Marsalek, entrenched in PMC warfare along with fraud and spying for Russia. 

Russian authorities helped him escape and evade prosecution. Investigations revealed that he was, and could still be, in hiding in Crimea using the identity of a Russian Orthodox priest.

The investigation published in March 2024, conducted by Spiegel, ZDF, Austrian Standard, and The Insider, highlights core links to the Russian Federation and highlights just how widespread networks of those involved in PMCs truly are.

The examples in this article are just a handful of the thousands of stories, links, and evidence of PMCs' deep-rooted connections to the Kremlin and their war tactics. 

Under the mask of PMCs, Russia can deploy its military, pursue profitable contracts, escalate tensions, and unleash extreme violence across Ukraine and the wider world. 

Moscow is likely to continue to rely on PMCs for their illegal invasion of Ukraine, to wage war and terror, but as with Wagner, as their power grows, Russia may begin to lose control.