Slavonic Corps

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]

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]

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).[7][lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2]

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.[16][19][20]

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.[16] 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 while traveling from Latakia to the place of execution of tasks, the convoy was drawn into a clash with units of the Islamic State.[21][22] By October, the Slavonic Corps had a strength of 267 contractors divided into two companies that were present in Latakia.[21] 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The contractors were provided with outdated equipment which raised concerns among the participants.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.[23] 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.[24]

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. In the aftermath of the battle, six Slavonic Corps members were wounded.[24] 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][22] 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.[7][16]

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.[8][9][10][11] As of 2015, the MSG owned fleet included four vessels: Ratibor (ESU2529), Maagen (E5U2139), Anchor 1 (E5U2491) and Deo Juvante (E5U2630).[12][13] As of autumn 2013, Boris Georgievich Chikin (Russian: Борис Георгиевич Чикин) and Vyacheslav Vasilyevich Kalashnikov (Russian: Вячеслав Васильевич Калашников), who is the MSG president and a colonel in the FSB reserve while the Slavonic Corps existed,[14] are co-owners of Moran Security Group which is headquarted at Potapovsky Lane, house 5, in Moscow.[4][5][15][16] Allegedly, Bashar al-Assad is a client of MSG.[12][17][18]
  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]

References
  1. "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. 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 17 February 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. 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. 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. 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)
  8. "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.
  9. Коротков, Денис (Korotkov, Denis) (25 February 2013). "Заложники Нигерии ждут коммандос от президента" [Hostages of Nigeria are waiting for commandos from the president]. Fontaka (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. Коротков, Денис (Korotkov, Denis) (20 February 2013). "Российские моряки могут остаться в Нигерии навсегда" [Russian sailors can stay in Nigeria forever]. Fontaka (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 January 2013). "Нигерийский военный флот не любит конкурентов" [The Nigerian navy does not like competitors]. Fontaka (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.)
  16. Коротков, Денис (Korotkov, Denis) (14 November 2013). "Последний бой «Славянского корпуса»" [Last battle of the Slavic Corps]. Fontaka (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. 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
  18. 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)
  19. 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)
  20. "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.
  21. 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.
  22. "Командиры «Славянского корпуса» в Сирии осуждены за наемничество" [Commanders of the "Slavic Corps" in Syria convicted of mercenarism]. Fontaka (in Russian). 28 October 2014. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  23. 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.
  24. Matt (14 January 2014). "Industry Talk: The Slavonic Corps–A Russian PMSC In Syria". Feral Jundi. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
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