battle of khasham wagner group battle of khasham wagner group

[18][19][20][21] They were in the role of frontline advisors, fire and movement coordinators[22] and forward air controllers who provided guidance to close air support. Ismail had fled Syria earlier in the war for Lebanon, before returning in 2017, after which he was arrested and forcibly conscripted into the Syrian military. The clash on February 7, 2018, was sparked by a pro-Assad regime force, including mercenaries from Russia's Wagner Group, advancing on an outpost manned In what became known as the Battle of Khasham, US Special Forces embedded with It describes some of the mercenaries big battles, including two operations to liberate the ancient city of Palmyra. [67][68] However, the two PMCs were still prisoners. In 2017, backed by U.S. forces, the SDF captured Raqqa from the Islamic State and then advanced to the Euphrates River, where a deconfliction line was established by the governments of the United States and Russia. The military claimed that, according to intercepted radio traffic, the groups were partly ISIL and partly Kurds, and retreated towards the Conoco factory. [2] According to Der Spiegel's report, no Russians were in either formation, though there was a small contingent of Russian PMCs stationed in Tabiyeh who were not participating in the fighting. [15][16][17] The Russian Ministry of Defence's statement, released on 8 February 2018, referred to the incident at the village of Salihiyah (located south of the SDF-held town of Abu Hamam in the Abu Kamal District) and said that it was caused by reconnaissance actions of Syrian militias that had not been cleared with the Russian operations command; the statement stressed that there were no Russian service members in the "designated district of the Deir ez-Zor province of Syria". [29] The ISIS Hunters were one of the leading units[30] during the capture of the al-Shaer gas fields from ISIL in late April 2017. [40] A second one was identified as a former soldier named Ruslan from Bryansk, currently employed as a "patriotic educator" in local schools. [39], A Russian independent media report identified one of the perpetrators as Stanislav Yevgenyevich Dychko,[40] a confirmed operative of the Wagner Group[35][36] who previously worked for the Russian Interior Ministry. Ukraine is our brother.. They stand in stark contrast to recent UN reports accusing Wagner operatives of raping civilians in Central African Republic or allegations that Wagner soldiers tortured and killed a prisoner in Syria. [51] A Russian journalist also believed between 20 and 25 PMCs died in the strikes. [37] After he was killed, his body was mutilated and burned. He first wanted to publish the memoir in 2020 but quickly withdrew his book after pressure from certain people. [52] At the end of that month, during an ISIL counter-offensive in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate, two Wagner PMCs were captured by the militants. A source with ties to Wagner and a Russian military doctor claimed 80100 were killed and 200 wounded Because it is not just about me, said Gabidullin. [48] Syrian government forces took complete control of the city by 3 November. [125] Members of the Russian special forces were also present during the offensive. This was well in advance of the enemy forces' attack. [70] The same day, a Wagner representative notified the parents of one of the two that both had died in captivity. Although Wagner may serve as a deniable instrument of Kremlin policy, the PMC might have been inclined to take on side-jobs for its own profit. The Americans knew exactly where we were, he said, recalling those events. [50] Prominent among those figures who early on made public information about presumably high numbers of Russian casualties in the U.S. strike was Igor Strelkov,[35][62] who in late February 2018 was registered as an authorized representative of Sergey Baburin, leader of the nationalist Russian All-People's Union and candidate for the 2018 Russian presidential election. [20][65], On 12 February 2018, Grigory Yavlinsky called on President Vladimir Putin to present an account of whether any Russian military forces had been involved in the battle. Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin attends the funeral of his fighters at the Beloostrovskoye cemetery outside St. Petersburg, Russia, on December 24, 2022. No Arrival and capture of Palmyra and al-Shaer, Push into Deir ez-Zor and clearing of Hama, "Undermining Democracy and Exploiting Clients: The Wagner Group's Nefarious Activities in Africa", "What is the Wagner Group, Russia's mercenary organisation? Marat Gabidullin holding his memoir, In the Same River Twice. I thought to myself, Enough, its time to get out of the shadows. I will not be dissuaded from publishing again. [31] However, as of the beginning of July, the PMCs were still fighting to secure the al-Shaer gas fields and the areas of the phosphate mines. [70][71] News outlets also noted that Vladimir Putin abruptly cancelled most of his previously announced engagements scheduled for 12 and 13 February, his press service citing ill health, and instead had a secret conference with his top military chiefs;[72][73] he also had a telephone conversation with U.S. president Donald Trump on 12 February, with no details revealed. WebAccording to reporting by The New York Times, the Battle of Khasham began as a convoy consisting of 27 vehicles and 500 Russian and Syrian troops advanced towards an A pair of U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles flew over northern Iraq on Sept. 23, 2014, after conducting airstrikes in Syria. Don't Be Fooled: Russia Attacked U.S. Fifteen Russian security staff killed in Syria explosion: The incident at a weapons depot follows the reported deaths of scores of Russian mercenaries in a US-led coalition attack last week, "Russians dead in 'battle' in Syria's east", "US attack on pro-gov't forces in Deir Ezzor killed more than 10 Russians (photos)", "More than 200 Russians may have been killed in Coalition strikes in Syria", "Reports of Russian Deaths Underscore Dangers of Syria's War", "The business of war: Russian mercenaries in Syria", "Russian toll in Syria battle was 300 killed and wounded: sources", " "" : 40 7 2018", SBU publishes list of 206 non-TOE employees of the Directorate of General Staff of Russian Army, members of Wagner PMC, plus personal data on eight more killed mercs, SBU releases personal details of 11 Russian Wagner PMC mercenaries who fought in Donbas separatists ranks. However, sources within the Russian FSB and the Defense Ministry unofficially stated for RBTH that Wagner was supervised by the GRU. [77] The following day, the Russian foreign ministry's spokesperson Maria Zakharova conceded that five Russian citizens might have been killed in the U.S. attack; she emphasized that they were not members of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary U.S.-backed force in the northeastern part of Syria is the Syrian Democratic Forces, a group composed predominantly of Kurdish and Arab militiamen. [114], Another mission they were charged with during the offensive was to secure the humanitarian corridor established by the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria that allowed civilians to leave rebel-held areas for government territory. Its description of the clash near Khasham was reposted by Grey Zone in subsequent posts. [110][111], As of 17 March, 82 percent of Eastern Ghouta was captured by the Syrian Army. ? At about 10 pm, local time, on 7 February 2018, a battle began near the Syrian town of Khasham in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate, between pro-Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led SDF, supported by the U.S. military. Mattis believed the forces were under Russian control, as the pro-government troops pulled back after U.S. forces spoke with their Russian counterparts. [60], In late October 2017, a video emerged on YouTube glorifying the PMCs actions in Syria. WebO Grupo Wagner (em russo , transliterado Grupa Vagnera) uma organizao paramilitar de origem russa.. O Grupo Wagner descrito como sendo uma empresa militar privada, uma rede semioficial de mercenrios e/ou um exrcito privado [19] com fortes ligaes ao governo russo que atua em vrias regies pelo mundo, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters played a key role in the Battle of Khasham, helping to annihilate a combined force of hundreds of Syrian soldiers and mercenaries from Russias Wagner Group. US Army photo by Maj. Robert Fellingham. US carries out missile strike on Iranian building in Syria It was posted on July 7 on a Russian language website used by current and former members of the shadowy Russian Wagner Group. [95] A Russian military doctor, a leader of a PMC-linked paramilitary Cossack organization, a source with ties to Wagner and the Ukrainian SBU claimed 80100 PMCs were killed and 100200 wounded. 2 min read. During one attack, a PMC was tortured to death by ISIL. American Fury: The Truth About the Russian Deaths in Syria: Hundreds of Russian soldiers are alleged to have died in U.S. airstrikes at the beginning of February. Three weeks after the incident, Germany's Der Spiegel published their own investigative report based on evidence gleaned from multiple first-hand sources (participants and witnesses) in the area. They have grouped into 50-man tank-equipped units supported by Russian air forces. Two Russian companies received contracts under this policy by this time, with one employing the Wagner Group to secure those sites from the militants. Post-Syria, Wagners notoriety has increased after reported operations in Central African Republic and Libya resource-rich countries in which Russia has strategic interests. Syrian Army 1 links Land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. [103] The Carpathians consisted of about 100 fighters. [35], The clashes lasted four hours and saw more than 100 Syrian pro-government fighters killed, with one SDF fighter injured, according to the coalition. [137], In late December 2021, Wagner PMCs took part in a large-scale military operation against ISIL cells in the Syrian desert. [33] Subsequently, the PMCs were in charge of guarding the refineries, with ISIL occasionally making attempts to retake the fields, each time being beaten back. [13], By July 2017, according to The New York Times, the Kremlin established a policy in Syria where companies that seize oil and gas wells, as well as mines, from ISIL forces would get oil and mining rights for those same sites. The battle, wherein as many as 500 or so combatants loyal to the Syrian government were said to have advanced toward a known US position in western Syria and fired with tanks and artillery, reportedly ended with up to [96][97] The SBU further named 64 of the PMCs. [76] Between 3 and 7 February, pro-government forces seized at least 25 villages,[77] shrinking the IS pocket in that part of the country by a reported 80 percent. Gabidullin, whose hearing has suffered after years of fighting, also said he participated in the 2018 Battle of Khasham, where hundreds of Russian mercenaries were reportedly killed after US airstrikes against pro-regime forces, in what is believed to be the deadliest clash between Russia and the US since the cold war. Putin's Secret Soldiers in Ukraine and Syria", "They fought for Palmyra again: Russian mercenaries killed in battle with ISIS", "After inflicting heavy losses on the regime forces, ISIS restore its stronghold in Hama and the regime desperate to retake Uqayribat", "The media reported the death of another soldier PMC Wagner in Syria". [36] During the two weeks following the incident, U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and other U.S. military officials repeatedly stated that American military commanders were in contact with their official Russian counterparts prior to, during, and after the clash, and that the U.S military were told by their Russian counterparts that there were no Russians in the paramilitary formation. Sitting in a cafe in an upmarket Moscow suburb, the former mercenary Marat Gabidullin looked a long way from the battlefields of Syria where he fought half a decade ago. Confronted with these accusations, Gabidullin said he never saw his comrades engaged in such acts but added that such crimes were to be expected given the groups current shadowy status. Russia claimed the clash was a result of American aggression. strike. They arrived at the village of Marrot, which is northwest of both Khasham and the nearby SDF base. [4][12][5] Nearby American artillery batteries, including an M142 HIMARS, shelled Syrian forces as well. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [89] Similarly, the SOHR activist organization reported that the Russian PMCs, who were accompanying government forces as they advanced towards the SDF-held oil and gas fields, were killed at Al Tabiyeh. Collapse of Islamic State in Syria (Feb. Nov. 2017), Syrian War spillover and international incidents, Foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war, Political ramifications in Russia and abroad, 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, American-led intervention in the Syrian civil war, List of United States attacks on Syria during the Syrian civil war, Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections, Eastern Syria campaign (SeptemberDecember 2017), Iranian involvement in the Syrian civil war, Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war, "Rare U.S. strike on pro-government forces kills scores of fighters". A couple hundred Russians were killed. The Battle of Khasham, also known as the Battle of Conoco Fields, was a military engagement of the Syrian civil war fought on 7 February 2018 near the towns of Khasham and Al Tabiyeh in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria. Russian state television recently screened numerous patriotic action movies produced by Prigozhin-linked firms, depicting unnamed Russian military instructors and volunteers fighting in eastern Ukraine, Central African Republic and Mozambique places where Wagner fighters have reportedly been active. Russian Embassy School in Washington, D.C. United States and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Khasham&oldid=1151998320, American airstrikes during the Syrian civil war, Military operations of the Syrian civil war in 2018, Deir ez-Zor Governorate in the Syrian civil war, Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Syrian Democratic Forces, Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving Russia, Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the United States, Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Syrian government, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using military navigation subgroups without wide style, Articles with failed verification from March 2023, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Russian interference in United States elections, This page was last edited on 27 April 2023, at 14:51. At the end of November, it was reported that the Russian military was negotiating for the release of the two PMCs who were reportedly being held on the border of Syria and Iraq. Gabidullin hopes his book will help lift the veil of secrecy around his former profession. [15][11] Supported by T-72 and T-55 tanks, the pro-government troops first shelled the SDF base with artillery, mortars, and rockets in what U.S. military officials described as a "coordinated attack". They can only whisper it.. [2], Similarly, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 68 pro-government fighters were killed during the day in the area,[14] including 45 who died in the coalition airstrikes,[43] with most being Syrians. The PMCs were accompanying government forces as they advanced towards the SDF-held oil and gas fields. [37][38], On 13 February 2018, unclassified footage depicting the coalition's targeted airstrikes on a pro-government T-72 tank position and a reported Russian contractor artillery position in the Khasham area was released by the Department of Defense. [17], Wagner PMCs were involved in both Palmyra offensives in 2016 and 2017, as well as the Syrian Army's campaign in central Syria in the summer of 2017 and the Battle of Deir ez-Zor in late 2017. At around 5 a.m. on 7 February 2018, around 250 of these fighters attempted to cross the Euphrates over a military pontoon bridge located to the southeast of both the Deir ez-Zor airport and the SDF base near Khasham. [113] On 18 March, the rebels launched a counter-attack in an attempt to recapture Mesraba and quickly seized most of the town from government forces. Troops Staying In Syria To Counter Assad, Iran, "PMC Wagner chief: 14 were killed in Syria", Putin ally said to be in touch with Kremlin, Assad before his mercenaries attacked U.S. troops. It doesnt fit the official narrative.. The memoir also describes mercenaries day-to-day lives, including occasional looting, and his commanders missteps. [63], Bloomberg, as well as other commentators, opined that both the Russian government and Trump administration, in their official statements, appeared to try obfuscating any Russian government role in the incident. Feb 7, 2023 #1 "A Telegram channel linked to the Wagner Group has published an insider account of the only known clash between the mercenary group and the US military the 7 February 2018 battle near Khasham in Syria, in which many Wagner fighters reportedly died. [74], In December 2017, the PMCs took part in the Syrian Army's offensive into Idlib province against mostly HTS rebel forces. The Wagner Group is trained at Russian Defense Ministry bases, and the groups leaders have received awards in the Kremlin, but Russia downplayed its involvement in the engagement thats come to be known as the Battle of Khasham. Russia claimed the clash was a result of American aggression. Between 40 and 60 were reported killed and between 80 and 180 were wounded. He pointed out that Russia managed to remove the need for deploying large numbers of ground forces by bringing in the Russian PMCs who, unlike American PMCs who were usually only in support roles, were used as highly capable assault troops and that they were often embedded with Syrian units to increase their fighting ability. WebRT @esotericneolib: This is such a good point, Wagner is truly the most formidable fighting force on the planet and has proven themselves time and again in Africa, Ukraine, and the "[5] Harrigian presented the U.S. strike as demonstration of the coalition's readiness "to prevent a resurgence of ISIS". ", "Syrian government air strikes kill 71 and wound 325 in 24 hours, monitor says", "Syria forces ready for assault on rebel enclave", "Syrian regime forces cut Eastern Ghouta into three parts", Syria war: Thousands flee Eastern Ghouta as army advances, "Fears for the lives of civilians after the regime forces advanced in the southwestern pocket of the Eastern Ghouta under heavy fire cover", "Syrian troops cut major roads in suburbs of Damascus", " "" REX", "Syrian army celebrates as rebels quit most of their Ghouta stronghold", "The Latest: Syrian army says it has retaken eastern Ghouta", "East Ghouta officially under the Syrian Army's control after last militant convoy leaves Douma", "Western airstrikes unlikely to impact Assad's war machine", "Ukrainians fight and die among Russian Wagner mercenaries | KyivPost Ukraine's Global Voice", "Ukraine's SBU identifies chief instructor of Ukrainian unit at Russia's PMC Wagner", ": 11 , ", " . [86][87] An official statement by the ISIS Hunters unit stated they had received intelligence that ISIL forces were moving towards Khasham and government forces decided to move from the Euphrates so as to cut off ISIL's line of attack. [94][95] Earlier, Komsomolskaya Pravda military correspondent Viktor Baranets[ru] was cited as saying that according to his information, the Su-57s had done "excellent" work carrying out their mission in Eastern Ghouta. elections. The organization that recruited the fighters, known as Wagner group, uses defense ministry transport infrastructure and hospitals. According to the US, the incidents took place deep inside territory patrolled by their military and the Kurdish-led SDF. [34], In early July 2017, a video emerged that showed Wagner PMCs bludgeoning a man who was initially believed to be a captured ISIL militant in the Palmyra area, with the person being beheaded after. [103] Russia officially confirmed five presumably Russian citizens had been killed in the air-strikes. He pointed to how the ban on private military companies in Russia pressures family members of deceased mercenaries to remain quiet about their loved ones. [62] Three or four companies of Wagner PMCs were involved in the fighting. Following the successful conclusion of the offensive, during which 32 of the contractors were reportedly killed and about 80 wounded, the PMCs were withdrawn between April and May 2016, and they surrendered all of their heavy weapons and military equipment. Notwithstanding that, between 10 and 20 of the Russians were killed in the U.S. strikes, while most of the formations' deaths were reportedly among the 4th Armoured Division. [2], As with the deconfliction line, the Syrian government itself never officially agreed to this limit but due to its dependence on Russia, the Syrian Army had nevertheless been, by and large de facto adhering to both; the Iranian government also never joined either of these two bilateral U.S.Russian agreements. [60][61] The issue gained additional sensitivity in Russia in view of the upcoming presidential election in March 2018. [4][12][5], According to the U.S. military, the presence of U.S. special operations personnel in the targeted base elicited a response by coalition aircraft, including AC-130 gunships, F-22 Raptor and F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets, MQ-9 Reaper unmanned combat aerial vehicles, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, and B-52s bombers. Furthermore, the SOHR stated they were not killed in the air-strikes, but instead in a booby-trapped explosion at an arms depot. At this point, pro-government units were hit by airstrikes. [12] A Kurdish militia commander and an ex-Russian officer also claimed Russian contractors were present and suffered casualties during the strikes. [127], On 15 October 2019, Syrian government forces entered the city of Manbij and its surrounding countryside, as US military forces started a withdrawal from the area,[128] which was completed by the end of the day. The Syrian government controlled all areas west of the river, including the great majority of Deir ez-Zor, and a salient on the river's east bank across from the city. "What losses PMC Wagner suffered in Syria", "The Conflict Intelligence Team Versus The Kremlin", "Syrian army announces recapture of Palmyra from Islamic State", "Isis driven out of ancient Syrian city of Palmyra for second time", "Mysterious Russian private military group pops up again in media reports", "ISIS Hunters on the verge of liberating the strategic Al-Sha'er Gas Fields", "ISIL falls apart in northern Palmyra as Syrian Army troops liberate strategic gas fields", "Syrian man filmed being bludgeoned with hammer blows by 'Russian mercenaries', "Al-Sha'er gas field in Homs restarts production", " : "" ", "Investigators say man filmed beheading Syrian is Russian Wagner Group mercenary", "Russian mercenaries 'beat and beheaded Syrian man' in leaked video", "Russian Mercenaries Linked to Gruesome Syrian Torture and Beheading Video", "Man who filmed beheading of Syrian identified as Russian mercenary", "Russian Press Names Wagner Mercenary as Likely Perpetrator in Gruesome Syria Beheading", "One of the suspected Russian mercenaries who helped torture and execute a man in Syria is now reportedly teaching kids about patriotism in Bryansk", "Journalists say Russian mercenaries in Syria tortured, beheaded, and burned a deserter from Assad's army. WebOn 7 February 2018, the U.S.-led coalition, established in 2014 to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), delivered massive air and artillery strikes on the Syrian Furthermore, Russian private military contractors ("volunteers"), notably those associated with the Wagner Group, had been engaged in ground operations throughout that time, although their presence was never officially confirmed by the Russian government. [45][46] In December 2021, the Council of the European Union sanctioned Utkin for the killing, stating in a resolution that "According to a former member of the Wagner Group, Dimitriy Utkin personally ordered the torturing to death of the deserter as well as the filming of the act. WebThe Wagner Group is trained at Russian Defense Ministry bases, and the groups leaders have received awards in the Kremlin, but Russia downplayed its involvement in the [134], As of early February, PMCs were posted at the frontline in the Al-Ghab Plain of Hama province. [122], At the start of May 2019, it was reported Wagner snipers were being deployed along the Idlib frontline in northwest Syria in anticipation of a Syrian Army offensive. [91][92] Some posts on Russian social media made claims of over 200 Russian PMCs being killed, although the veracity of this information was questioned[93] and could not be confirmed. [98], On 10 February 2018, a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone destroyed a T-72 tank of pro-government forces in an airstrike near the Al Tabiyeh gas field. [2] At around 10 p.m. that night, these fighters began to advance southeast toward Khasham. [27][28], Russia had been conducting air military operations in Syria in support of the Syrian government since 30 September 2015. [38] In the video of the killing, a second severed head of an unidentified person could be seen lying on the ground. [32][33][34], According to the U.S. military's official statement, around 10 p.m. local time on the night of 7 February 2018, a force of 500 pro-government fighters consisting of local militiamen, Syrian Army regulars, Shia militants from Liwa Fatemiyoun and Liwa Zainebiyoun, and reportedly Russian private military contractors, launched an assault on a SDF headquarters near Khasham. [72] On 11 December, Putin declared victory against "terrorists" during a visit to Russia's Khmeimim air base in Syria. [79], At about 10pm, local time, on 7 February 2018, a battle began near the Syrian town of Khasham in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate, between pro-Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led SDF, supported by the U.S. military. Killing "a Couple Hundred Russians" in Syria", Russian reporter Borodin dead after mystery fall, U.S. airstrike destroys Russian-made tank used by pro-Syria forces, "U.S. drone destroys Russian-made tank in Syria", "At least two fighters of Assad forces killed due US raids on their location by Khasham town", "After brief buildup, pro-Syria government forces move away from U.S. troops", "SDF returns fire after surprise artillery attack near Deir al-Zor: Coalition", "Syrian Democratic Forces Return Fire in Self-Defense", Background and causes of the Syrian Civil War, Syrian government reactions to the Syrian civil war, Inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian civil war, Cities and towns during the Syrian civil war, Sectarianism and minorities in the Syrian civil war, Syrian Desert campaign (December 2017present), Humanitarian aid during the Syrian civil war, Human rights violations during the Syrian civil war, Civil uprising phase of the Syrian civil war, Early insurgency phase of the Syrian civil war, International reactions to the Syrian civil war, Relations between Syrian government and Kurdish groups in Syria, Al-Hasakah Governorate campaign (20122013), Rif Dimashq offensive (Nov 2012Feb 2013), Battle of Tell Hamis and Tell Brak (DecJan), East Ghouta inter-rebel conflict (AprMay), September Urum al-Kubra aid convoy attack, Turkish military operation in Idlib Governorate, Syrian Liberation FrontTahrir al-Sham conflict, Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party Syria Region, National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change, International demonstrations and protests, First Northern Syria Demilitarization Deal, Second Northern Syria Demilitarization Deal, Fourth Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, International recognition of the Syrian National Council, Ambassadors of Russia to the United States, Ambassadors of the United States to Russia, Consulate-General of Russia, New York City, Consulate-General of Russia, San Francisco, Permanent Mission of Russia to the United Nations, Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. Marat Gabidullin says Russias achievements in Syria were largely because of the mercenaries sacrifices. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the private military company Wagner, has stated that the Wagnerites are running out, and [41][42] Der Spiegel's report did not indicate whether this formation was under Iranian or Syrian command or what attempt, if any, Russia made to force the Syrian and Iranian governments to comply with these U.S.Russian agreements. The groups were quickly pushed back. WebThe mixed group of Syrian forces and Russian mercenaries from the notorious Kremlin-linked Wagner Group swelled to an estimated 500 troops by early night. The groups were quickly pushed back. The situation with the passports of killed mercenaries is a glaring confirmation., "The oil field carnage that Moscow doesn't want to talk about", " , - ", 14 "" , "PMC Wagner chief: 14 were killed in Syria", " ''. Compared to its influence over the Syrian government, the Russian government had significantly less influence over Iran's government, military, and proxies in Syria, which constituted a large portion of pro-Syrian government ground forces in both Deir ez-Zor and throughout Syria.[40]. [29], In February 2018, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigian, Commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command, talked about the circumstances before the attack: "The coalition observed a slow buildup of personnel and equipment the previous week, and we reminded Russian officials of the SDF and coalition presence via the telephone deconfliction line.