The issue of "Russian mercenaries" fighting in Syria once again returned to the spotlight after Ukrainian special forces published details showing that the Russian army provided extensive facilities for transporting private fighters with their weapons to Syria.
Ukraine, which closely monitors the movements of Russian special forces fighters known as the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC), revealed its data as the US Congress discussed the case.
It listened to an extensive briefing two days ago by Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell on “attacks carried out by the mercenaries against US forces positions in Syria.”
Although he did not specify the nature or date of the attacks, it is clear that Mitchell was referring to the confrontation that took place near Deir al-Zour in February and resulted in the death and injury of hundreds of fighters from Russian private companies.
"[Russia’s] reckless intervention in Syria and support for the Assad regime has raised the risk of confrontation with the West," Mitchell said, adding that the "failed attack on US forces by Russian mercenaries recently in Syria was one sobering example of this behavior."
Earlier, Ukraine’s Security Service published results of an investigation conducted with a Russian military personnel, who was in Syria between 2015 and 2017.
He was detained two months ago while attempting to illegally cross the border into Ukraine. He told Ukrainian investigators that he was serving as a contractor on the Varyag missile cruiser from 2015 and 2017 and had regularly taken part in the transportation to Syria of members of the Wagner PMC and their heavy weapons and ammunition.
He noted that "a large number of packets similar to that of ammunition were loaded, but they told us that it is humanitarian aid."
"Army of Wagner" was first mentioned in 2015 right after Russia’s military intervention in Syria. Russian media at the time reported details of "special missions" of army members, who had previously fought alongside pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Russian media also published details of an agreement signed between the Syrian regime and private companies in Moscow, run by Kremlin close associates, to carry out operations at oil sites in exchange for huge revenues estimated at a quarter of Syria's oil production.
But this private army received a hit by US forces in February when three units of about 1,000 members tried to approach an oil facility near Deir al-Zour. The US bombed the area, killing hundreds of the members, 217 of whom were part of the Wagner army.
Moscow initially denied any irregular military formations in Syria. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova at the time described the information that Russian soldiers were killed by a US military strike as "misleading".
The Russian Foreign Ministry said citizens of Russia and the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States were in Syria without the knowledge of the authorities of their countries.
But the ministry later admitted the US operation killed and injured dozens after details about the fighters and interviews with their families were published in Russian media.
The Russian Ministry of Defense denied Ukrainian security service information about using the Varyag cruiser to transport mercenaries to Syria
"Before spinning some tales, the illiterate bosses in Ukraine’s intelligence services should have consulted either the Ukrainian Naval command or their Western handlers," Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Wednesday.
Konashenkov stated that the Varyag guided missile cruiser was never called into Syria’s Tartus, explaining that its naval facility had no quays adequate for ships with such displacement to moor or dock.
"As for the alleged shipment of heavy weaponry, the Varyag’s design lacks cargo holds. The cruiser is neither meant nor built for the transportation of military equipment and other large-sized cargoes for military use," he stressed.
