Russia

‘Mercenaries have skills armies lack’: former

Wagner operative opens up
Marat Gabidullin has written memoir about fighting for Wagner
because Russians should know ‘mercenaries exist’

Pjotr Sauer in Moscow

Thu 10 Feb 2022 15.18 GMT

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.

Gripping his recently finished memoir, In the Same River Twice, the first published
account of fighting for the secretive Russian mercenary outfit Wagner, Gabidullin
said: “I wrote this because I realised it’s time for our country to face the truth:
mercenaries exist.”

At 55, he’s an imposing figure, with his face and muscular arms covered in scars.
“We, in Russia, prefer not to discuss our mercenaries,” he added. “It doesn’t fit the
official narrative.”

In 2015, Gabidullin, a Russian airborne forces veteran and former bodyguard, joined
Wagner, at the time a relatively unknown mercenary group. He was soon deployed
to fight in Syria alongside the Russian army supporting President Bashar al-Assad,
quickly rising to command one of Wagner’s five units there.

Established in 2014 to support pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, Wagner is

allegedly funded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a powerful businessman closely linked to
Vladimir Putin who has faced western sanctions.

From the company’s inception, it has been shrouded in mystery. On paper, the firm
does not exist, with no company registration, tax returns or organisational chart to
be found.

Western governments and academics argue that Wagner is an unofficial foreign

policy tool of the Kremlin, deployed where Russia wants to extend its influence or
create upheaval. Prigozhin and Moscow have denied any knowledge of Wagner;
officially, private military companies remain illegal in Russia. Representatives for
Prigozhin have not responded to requests for comment.

Gabidullin made no attempt to deny Wagner’s existence or its active role in Russian
security interests. In contrast, he said one of his main motivations behind writing
the book was to bring mercenary companies such as Wagner “out of the shadow”,
highlighting their potential benefits for Russia’s foreign policy goals.

“Mercenary groups are nothing to be ashamed of, they exist everywhere, but we lie
about them,” he said. “We have specialised skills that a normal army lacks.”

The memoir, based on events Gabidullin claims he witnessed, follows three years of
Wagner’s Syrian campaign. It describes some of the mercenaries’ big battles,
including two operations to liberate the ancient city of Palmyra. Scores of Wagner
soldiers are believed to have fought and died in Syria since the conflict began in
2011.
 The ancient ruins of Palmyra in Syria after intense battles in 2016 in which Wagner is said to have taken
part. Photograph: AP

“The Russian army’s achievements in Syria were largely because of the mercenaries’
sacrifices. That fact is completely ignored by the military establishment and not
known to the wider public,” Gabidullin complained, grumbling that “mediocre”
Russian army generals received promotions based on Wagner’s successes.

The memoir also describes mercenaries’ day-to-day lives, including occasional

looting, and his commanders’ missteps.

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.

“We should never have been there; our leadership messed up. The Americans knew
exactly where we were,” he said, recalling those events.

Post-Syria, Wagner’s notoriety has increased after reported operations in Central

African Republic and Libya – resource-rich countries in which Russia has strategic
interests. The group’s growing influence has also divided Mali and its European
partners after the west African nation deployed Wagner fighters in December.

And as tensions have escalated over Ukraine in recent months, Reuters reported
that unnamed Russian mercenaries have been sent to separatist-controlled eastern
Ukraine. Last week, the US-based Daily Beast claimed that Wagner soldiers are being
moved from Africa, possibly towards Ukraine.

Gabidullin said he had “vaguely heard” of mercenary deployments in Ukraine,

quickly adding that a Russian invasion would be a “fatal” mistake. “I believe that
war between Ukraine and Russia will be a complete disaster for Russia. Under no
circumstances should this be allowed. Ukraine is our brother.”

Throughout the conversation, Gabidullin looked somewhat agitated, his piercing

blue eyes darting around the empty cafe. He said he worried about the
consequences of publishing his book and was eager to avoid mentioning his alleged
former boss, Prigozhin.

“I suspect that there will be attempts by [Prigozhin] to discredit me. I am walking on

a tightrope here,” he said.

He first wanted to publish the memoir in 2020 but quickly withdrew his book after
pressure from “certain people”. This time, however, he decided to not hold back
and found a “brave” publisher in the city of Ekaterinburg. The Paris-based Michel
Lafon publishing house is also planning to distribute a French version.

“I thought to myself, ‘Enough, it’s time to get out of the shadows.’ I will not be
dissuaded from publishing again. Because it is not just about me,” said Gabidullin.

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.
Gabidullin hopes his book will help lift the veil of secrecy around his former
profession.
 Marat Gabidullin holding his memoir, In the Same River Twice. Photograph: Egor Slizyak

“This current situation does not suit many of my comrades. More importantly, it
does not suit the dead mercenaries’ parents and relatives, who cannot even talk
openly about how their son or brother died. They can only whisper it.”

While Gabidullin’s memoir challenges the official narrative regarding the existence
of mercenaries in Russia, a separate PR campaign also sprung up last year to
promote the activities of groups like Wagner.
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.

The films, which Gabidullin dismissed as “trash”, portray heroic Russians saving
local people from violent rebels. 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.

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
group’s current shadowy status. “The state puts mercenaries in a situation where
they can act outside the law, and a soldier is forced to establish his own moral
norms. But, of course, we should investigate that messed-up stuff.”

Article count on

You've read 8 articles in the last year

As 2022 begins, and you're joining us from India, there’s a new year resolution
we’d like you to consider. Tens of millions have placed their trust in the
Guardian’s fearless journalism since we started publishing 200 years ago, turning
to us in moments of crisis, uncertainty, solidarity and hope. We’d like to invite you
to join more than 1.5 million supporters, from 180 countries, who now power us
financially – keeping us open to all, and fiercely independent.
Unlike many others, the Guardian has no shareholders and no billionaire owner.
Just the determination and passion to deliver high-impact global reporting,
always free from commercial or political influence. Reporting like this is vital for
democracy, for fairness and to demand better from the powerful.
And we provide all this for free, for everyone to read. We do this because we
believe in information equality. Greater numbers of people can keep track of the
global events shaping our world, understand their impact on people and
communities, and become inspired to take meaningful action. Millions can
benefit from open access to quality, truthful news, regardless of their ability to
pay for it.
If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or
small, powers our journalism and sustains our future. Support the Guardian from
as little as $1 – it only takes a minute. If you can, please consider supporting us
with a regular amount each month. Thank you.

Single Monthly Annual

 $5 per month $10 per month Other

Support the Guardian Remind me in April