Trying to form on earth two thousand Syrian "Slavic body" leaders of private military company from St. Petersburg were in Lefortovo cells. Ordinary soldiers of fortune, told "Fontanka" about his first and last fight, dissatisfied with the loss of commanders: they now no one to ask the unpaid time compensation for war.

About the Russian citizens who travel to Syria to fight against the regime of Bashar al-Assad because of their religious convictions, it has long been known. The fact that the Russians mercenaries may be involved in armed conflict and on the side of the current government, spoke in October 2013, when the opposition circulated on the Internet documents supposedly destroyed them in a skirmish near the town of Homs resident of Krasnodar Region Alexei Malyuta. Seeing that our citizens really went to Syria for armed work under contracts with the company stationed in St. Petersburg Slavonic Corps Limited ( «Slavic body"), "Fontanka" inquired about the number of our compatriots involved in the adventure. It was found from the banks of the Neva had left to seek his fortune, and the chargeabotka by Arab bullets more than ten people. Some of them agreed to talk. Asked not to publish the names of: "Neither in what it. Celebrities we are not looking, and the membership was given to the FSB. But we will not be silent, so that others do not fall, as we are. We're back, we were just lucky. "

How to get a war

Turnout, passwords and other conspiracy theories are not needed. In the spring of 2013 declared a "Slavic housing" on the recruitment of ex-servicemen with combat experience to work in the long-term business trips abroad appeared on relevant sites across Russia. Many responded. Not all retired officers of the Airborne and Special Forces, discharged soldiers and riot police SWAT found themselves in civilian life. Someone office five days a week - normally, and someone - a sharp knife. And not everyone knows how to skillfully handle a machine gun or sniper rifle is a businessman talent. Bored in the metropolis, the notorious "dashing" ended, and command the barrier in Chop humbling of little benefit. Proposal receive 5 thousand dollars a month for the protection of certain "objects of power" will be interestingalis former St. Petersburg OMON, former officers of the special forces of internal troops, acting bodyguards. That's nothing unusual, almost everyone behind the North Caucasus, Tajikistan and daunting experience "address" with disturbing the people around crime. 20 thousand dollars for the disabled and 40 thousand for the death: acceptable.

A telephone call and then met in the street with the head of Moran Security Group FSB lieutenant colonel in reserve Vyacheslav Kalashnikov, who introduced himself and explained the general conditions. Then, an interview with a personnel specialist in the office center on the Baltic small street of Alexander Blok, Building 5, fill out the questionnaire and the order of the passport.

Call to Moscow followed in September of 2013. This time, talked to the candidates in the room Moran Security Group, in Potapov Street alley, house 5. Explain that have to go to Syria, from "Slavic body." They warned to be ready. Do not have time to return to Petersburg, call: "Urgent come to Moscow. It's time to take off on a business trip. On the other - only a passport, military personal and do not take no wear, the enemy does not sleep exploration & raq!uo;

The contract with the phantom

The signing of contracts with the Hong Kong Slavonic Corps Limited was literally on the knee on the platform of the Leningrad station: "Come on, time is running out." Of the approximately twenty-three candidates who came to see in the details of Hong Kong, we turned around and went home instead of Syria. The rest took a chance. Bribery of a promise to pay 4000 dollars a month in advance and a solemn oath to transfer the first tranche in the coming days. In addition, men are not accustomed to and more valued securities arrangement, believing that they do not want to cheat there.

Next was a flight to Lebanon Beirut, Transfer by car to Damascus. From the Syrian border - with a convoy of local guards. The local hotel, then the plane in Latakia, a military base.

Tank for guard

"A large field between Latakia and Tartus enclosed by barbed wire. There were located the Syrian reservists and our battalion. Previously, such was the racetrack. Located in the former stables. By October, there were 267 people from the "Slavic housing", divided into two companies. Oin the company was completed with Kuban Cossacks, the other - the people from all over Russia, from St. Petersburg man 10 - 12. As the founding fathers of the commanders said, the number of housing in Syria is expected to reach 2 million people. "

Besides machines battalion got machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades. Anti-aircraft installation - 1939 model year. Mortars - 1943. crews have been formed for the four T-72 tanks and several BMP (infantry fighting vehicles). The issue of weapons under the tasks of the object of protection rose sharply even the most gullible and has been set.

"You have come to fight or protect? Who guard - the eternal outfit on hozrabot "- such was the response commander's word.
Vadim Gusev supervised the project, which many know as the deputy director of Moran Security Group.

For whom are fighting

It is not fully understood. "When we talked to in Russia - explained that go under contract with the Syrian government, urged that all legal and everything is in order. They say that our government and the FSB informed and involved in the project. When we arrived at the place, it turned out that we have been sent as gladiators on contractwith some Syrians who either has to do with the government, or not ... I mean, we - the private army of the local authority. But it was not to go back. As said, a return ticket costs money, and we will work it out, like it or not. "

The problem came as soldiers announced "Slavic housing", to retain control of the center of the oil industry, the city of Deir ez-Zor. In order to begin to control it, it was necessary to reach it. More than 500 kilometers away, busy where government forces where the opposition, and where did it is not clear by whom.

Hike the "Slavic housing"

The first and only combat operation "Slavic body" has not worked since the beginning. As one of our interlocutors, who had to go to BMP crew provided their cars in 1979 release it was full of rubbish and bring them in combat-ready condition did not work.

Trained T-72 were replaced by the Syrians in the battle is not capable of rusty T-62, which also had to leave. To march October 15 trimmed homemade Brons Hyundai buses and jeeps JMC. They stuck to their portraits of Bashar Assad and Syrian flags and drove off.

Maybe it would have slipped, but intervened brave and unpredictable Syrian air force on the road. Helicopter pilot, who did not want a closer look at the caravan, not scare simulated attacks in the middle of the desert and the endless sky was able to find a wire transmission line, entangled in it and fall to the column. It has done a light injury at one "legionary" and bend the machine in the second. Warped turntable and the pilot had to carry on the military airport in Homs, the tempo was lost.

Alien war

Two days for some reason held at the airport. The 18th for sudden alarm plunged into the machine. Like as in the nearby town Suhne the Syrian opposition militias piled-rebels and militias had to bail out. Three hours later, the four finally moved somewhere on the road, under some burning city came under fire. Dispersed, they took up defensive positions. Rota Cossacks moved to the left and vlipla - came into clash with someone who was not for Bashar al-Assad. unfolded mortarsOf which, however, did not manage to cover the column opponents approached the government SAU (self-propelled artillery unit), supported by fire. Assad bombed by the enemy aircraft. Action, which, according to various sources, it was not 2000, not 6000, were stubborn, seems to have begun to bypass the battalion and take in a pincer movement. "Slavic body," not wanting to die is useless for the ideals of the Syrian state, plunged into the car and began to depart. During this retreat, most likely, and the bag was lost Alexei Malyuta, inherited as a trophy opponents of the regime.

Great success can be considered that the entire body battle lost only six people wounded, two of them - seriously. Immediately, we note that all the wounded were removed from the battlefield, and along with all returned home. "Sandstorm saved us, covered our retreat, and hid from local dushmans. Such a charge of sand - can not see anything. But thanks to him, we are alive. "

End of mission

The way back to Homs, and then to the base in Latakia was grim. The ratio of the Syrians to the Russian legionaryIt is much changed. Recalls the scandals that occurred at the airport between Vadim Gusev and Syrian "master" of "Slavic housing": they were clearly different views on the future plans. Screams conversing counterparties heard everything, including mention of the dollar and, more specifically, about 4 million dollars, that should work. Still, the battalion returned to Latakia. If in September the Syrians greeted almost with flowers, now looked, if not as enemies, not as heroes. Surly so we watched. Soon began to gradually disarm, the body had to hand over all heavy weapons. Until recently, not only parted with guns. They say that no machine in Syria, the Russian people have nothing to do right now.

Greeted with honor

Despite the fact that according to the contract, the trip was supposed to last for five months, in the last days of October, the personnel were loaded onto two charter aircraft and sent to Moscow. Vnukovo not expect similar reception awaited trip. From the aircraft produced by one, each fell into the hands of FSB officers. quickfirst inspection, removal of SIM cards and any media, a short interrogation as a witness. Then, the removal of a foreign passport, the subscription nondisclosure and a ticket home. Vadim Gusev, who flew in business class and left the plane first, was at the disposal of investigators.
As explained in the Moran Security Group, he and another employee of the company responsible for staffing Yevgeny Sidorov, were arrested in a criminal case brought by the capital controlled by the FSB had never applied article 359 of the Criminal Code - mercenary.

No money and will not be

Nuance is that 4000 dollars that should have been paid to each "security specialist" "Slavic housing" at the beginning of the second month of travel, get almost no one has, and now about 200 very angry men are in different parts of Russia, which We are going to get their money. But Gusev and Sidorov - Lefortovo, not to ask them. Sergei Kramskoy, whose signature is on the contract, none of the foreign players have never seen. Petersburgers say that met with the heads of MoranSecurity Group Vyacheslav Kalashnikov and Boris Chikin, who recruited them to work in Syria. Those allegedly explained that it is not their business to the Slavonic Corps they have no relationship, and there's no money and will not be.
The word professional: This adventure

Once again, asking to speak to the Syrian topic Vyacheslav Kalashnikov and again received no answer, "Fontanka" asked for comment to the head of Russia's largest private military company "SCR-Group". Oleg Krinitsyn sure: Syrian history Slavonic Corps was initially a gamble.

"The much-publicized campaign on the recruitment of mercenaries to Syria initially sounded like a joke, a kind of PR-action. More people believe, and reached for his dream - to make money. But everyone knew that the dirty money and possibly involved in the blood. Before you send people to a country where there are active military operations, where virtually "layer cake" of the Syrian army, the opposition fighters, "Al-Qaeda", "Al-Nusra," etc., were necessary to prepare and understand how their output therefrom. Among the children of persons photographed against the background of aSyrian art, hung with weapons, and I noticed a few of our former employees who were dismissed from the company's low moral qualities. I saw among them children with previous convictions. This once again confirms that the set task was not to attract high-quality professionals, and just had to plug the "hole" cannon fodder, and quickly. And the children were sent under contracts resembling contracts suicide. People previously painted in the contract with the request to bury the remains of their homeland or, if it is impossible, in a country where they will die, and then reburied in Russia. Horror.

And we must remember that the article "mercenary" has not been canceled. Armed men from the offshore company "Slavkorp" without security licenses, official permits for weapons went to defend is not clear who is unclear on what in a foreign country in a troubled time. The fighters used heavy weapons, old military equipment, sniper rifles, Kalashnikovs. the form was issued. One of the American sample. Another form - reminiscent of the special division of the Syrian army. What securitythe structure of such mimicry? The answer is obvious: Russian guys would have used blindly. And then on television would show not the Krasnodar kolkhoznik Malyuta which, cheerful mother breaks rotten branch on the head of his same cheerful colleagues in Syria, and would be represented by the bloody images of dead Slavs in the form of the Syrian army, which, in principle, would have to provoke more active actions of the Americans and the British to arm and support the Syrian rebels.

The contract was not a state structure, but with some Syrian tycoon, allegedly with the consent of Assad. Let's go to protect the oil fields, and when it arrived, it turned out that the field still need to recapture. And when our guys were smart enough not to get involved in the slaughter - they are simply and unabashedly "passed" the militants, and they tried to surround and destroy a group of Russians from mortars and small arms. This is not our war, not our country, it's pure mercenary, but the people who go there, not to blame, they do not fully realize that falling into a beautiful fairy tale, and in the place where the soldier lived an average of 2 - 3 weeks. them afterWhether, like sheep to the slaughter. You have to understand that we are Russian, we are strangers in the country. Local fighters (both sides) they would "passed" in the first place. That, basically, is what happened.

I do not exclude that some of the managers of Moran Security Group, and the company's affiliation to "Slavkorp" quite clear, could venture this adventure to plug the financial hole that has formed after the capture of their Myre Seadiver vessel in Nigeria. But the military officer who understands what life is and what death is, his people would go there not sent.

In the "SCR-groups" repeatedly received offers to work in Syria, and from different angles (Free Syrian Army and simply incomprehensible merchants), and the money offered serious, but we will not go. That's when the "SCR-Group" will be offered a contract with the government - then we will work, but work on a formal contract with a public entity. We are prepared professionally and legally to ensure the safety of any object: a seaport, airport, television and radio stations, up to the Russian embassy.

FSB

The answer to the question of the correspondentSyria and "Slavonic body" was given the duty officer immediately, "the FSB public relations center such information is not available."

PS

Fight off Suhny. Looking from the opposition

Mujahideen of the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham successful operation conducted in the area of ​​Homs.
Assault units attacked kafirs group in the village Suhna. During a successful offensive one major PPC was taken. Another 2 Gearbox surrounded. The fighting continues.
Mujahideen managed to destroy more than 100 asaditov and Shiites.
Among the killed there and Russian mercenaries.

Fight off Suhny. Looking from the outside of the official Damascus

In Homs particularly fierce Syrian army fights with gangs of militants continued in the area of ​​Al-Suhna, where in a few days the terrorist armed groups trying to take over military installations. October 17th they managed to achieve promotion in attracting numerous bandit groups, including arrivals of Raqqa. And on the 20th of the fighters were pulled back.
Three shelters terrorists Dzhesh al-Islam underwent nalёthere combat aircraft in the vicinity of Al-Suhna. As a result, they killed more than 25 militants.
On October 20, during the fighting army units managed to eliminate a lot of terrorists, including 2 commanders from Chechnya and Egypt by their nicknames Abu Hamza Al-Sheshan and Abu Musaab Al-Masri, as well as a Saudi citizen, one of the personal friends of Bin Laden Dzhafina Omar Al-Uteybi .