Russian billionaire sends mercenaries to Syria?
Russian mercenaries killed in US airstrikes in Syria are believed to have been under the control of billionaire Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Russia last week confirmed that five of its citizens were killed in a US airstrike in Syria, stressing they were not military personnel. There are signs that the men were mercenaries working for the Wagner security company owned by Russian billionaire Yevgeny Prigozhin.CBS NewsFebruary 23report
The US military released video of some of the mercenaries involved in the attack, as well as images of a T-72 main battle tank of this force that was hit by a US airstrike on February 7. When the US soldiers called in the airstrike, they did not know that there were Russian citizens in the attack formation.
Washington claims the group attacked a gas plant near a base housing US special forces and Kurdish militia. US officials told CBS News that Prigozhin had been in contact with Russian and Syrian officials in the days before and after the attack.
It appears the Russian mercenaries knew the target they were attacking was a US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) position, but were unaware that US special forces were present in the area.
According to US officials, billionaire Prigozhin's mercenaries were initially deployed to Syria with the main purpose of supporting the Russian military on the battlefield. However, gRecently, the Wagner company signed an agreement with the Syrian government to gain control of oil and gas wells in rebel-controlled areas for its own profit.billionaire Prigozhin.
|
Billionaire Yevgeny Prigozhin. Photo: Tass |
The Russian Defense Ministry and the Pentagon maintain a hotline in Syria to avoid incidents that lead to casualties on both sides in the war. Washington confirmed that it had notified Moscow in advance about the airstrike that killed five Russian citizens.
CBS News said the Russian military did not attempt to stop the US airstrikes, likely because they were angry at the appearance of private mercenaries in a complex battlefield like Syria, where such incidents could escalate tensions to dangerous levels.
Prigozhin, one of Russia's richest men, owns several restaurants and hosts parties for the Kremlin. Last week, Prigozhin and 12 other Russians were indicted by the US government for interfering in the US election.