Analyzing the open data, our OSINT investigators found a social profile of one of the militants from the 1st motorized rifle brigade of ‘DPR’ (military unit No. 08801, accommodated in Donetsk, the Ukrainian city occupied by the Russian-terrorist forces). This story tells about the life of a mercenary officer – from his study in a military institute in Bishkek and the Antalya International University to the participation in the war in Donbas (where Aziz showed entrepreneurial skills related to organ trafficking).

‘Manuscripts do not burn’

Conducting a deep monitoring and analysis of all social accounts of the subject, the following information has been discovered: Aziz Ivanov/Belov/Banyshev can be met in the Net under 3 different last names and the same first name. The pictures in the profiles confirm that this is the same person. Analysis of the family ties and the deleted records (saved for us by Google’s cache) leads us to his real last name – Banyshev.

Subject’s history

Aziz Banyshev was born in Karakol (formerly Przhevalsk, Kyrgyz Republic) on November 16, 1990. Religion – Islam. Political preferences – the communist ideology (VKontakte profile, archive).

Professional military career 

Aziz graduated from the Bishkek high military school in 2012 (now its named the Military Institute Of the Armed Force of the Kyrgyz Republic).

This high school prepares specialists in the following areas of expertise:

• special tactics for border guards
• command and tactical training of the motorized rifle troops

Both specialties include studying of the English, German, French or Turkish language. Based on the data in Aziz’s ‘Moy mir’ network profile (archive), where he calls himself ‘Vesyolyi Pogranichnik’ [Merry Border Guard], we can assume that the figurant studied on the Department of Border Troops.

Photos of Aziz from the period when he was a cadet in the Bishkek institute:

Agential activities (the undercover life in Turkey)

Studying of the Turkish language came in handy a little bit later, when Aziz entered the Antalya International University (Uluslararası Antalya Üniversitesi) and finished it in 2015. Aziz has deleted the information about this university from his profile, but it remains in Google’s cache.

Typical term of apprenticeship is 2 or 3 years depending on whether students enroll after finishing 9 or 11 school forms. It is possible that entering this university, Aziz concealed the information about previous academic training in the Bishkek high military school to set up his future cover story. Other details should be mentioned as well.

The graduates of the college get 2 diplomas (College of Tourism in Antalya and Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality in UK), job placement in tourism sphere in Turkey or any other country is guaranteed – that is an ideal cover for a person of influence of the Russian secret services.

Besides records saved in Google’s cache, there are also pictures in Aziz’s social profile that confirm his staying in Antalya and the internship in the tourism and service.

Participation in the war in Donbas and kidney sale

But instead of a meteoric career as a border guard or touristic service employee, Aziz Banyshev chose the trip to Donbas. Maybe he thought it was a hotter place than the Turkish beaches. At this moment Aziz is busy with picking up 16 years old girls in Donetsk and also he is one of the career servicemen which supervise activities of the 1st motorized rifle brigade of ‘DPR’. Aziz acts as a kidneys dealer as well. 

Belonging to the united Russian-separatist forces in Telmanove raion of Donetsk Oblast and congratulations from his brothers-in-arms on ‘Day of Military Intelligence’ indirectly point at the fact that Aziz is an officer of the Russian GRU.

Note:
1) According to intelligence reports, Telmanove raion of Donetsk Oblast is one of the areas of responsibility of the Russian career servicemen and there are no illegal armed formations.

2) The holiday Aziz Banyshev was congratulated on by his comrades is an annual professional holiday of the Russian military, which is celebrated on November 5. It was established by the order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation No. 490 from October 12, 2000.

A photo from Aziz’s social profile – the geotag points at Telmanove raion of Donetsk Oblast.

But the most interesting facts were discovered when InformNapalm’s volunteers started to look into the contact information, including the mobile phone numbers specified in the Aziz’s profile.

At this moment mobile No. +380636020336 is openly set on the serviceman’s page, but Google’s cache has lifted the veil on another secret Aziz wanted to keep. His second mobile number is +380734662128. In the screenshot below you can see the information about the university studies in Turkey, the faculty the GRU infiltrator studied at is also there. 

A simple Google search for the second phone number of Aziz Banyshev resulted in finding several advertisements about ‘urgent kidney sale’.

Advertisement No. 1 by Aziz Banyshev (direct link, archive):

Advertisement No. 2 by Aziz Ivanov (direct link, archive):
Advertisement No. 3, this time by Aziz Belov (with the same contact info), was published as a subtle hint for the ‘Black market of organs in Ukraine. What is it?‘ article (link, archive).

Study in a Turkish college is quite expensive, but the war in Donbas is quite a profitable business for the Russian military personnel. Donbas is a zone where rule not the law and order, but the Russian GRU and FSB mafia clans, which control all kinds of legal and illegal business. Drug and arms trafficking, slave trade and even black organ transplant – this is not a complete list of areas of activities of the Russian special services in Donbas. Earlier we used to get to know about this area from very few eyewitnesses who could not prove their statements, but this investigation shows that certain Russian officers administering ‘DPR’ armed formations in Donbas are brave enough to place advertisements about selling of allegedly their own kidneys. What is even more alarming is that these ads are placed under different surnames and their author is ready to come on operation to the best European clinics or at least to Kiev.

Who knows, maybe Aziz’s life is so tough that the career officer with several diplomas and opportunities to work in tourism sphere in Turkey and EU indeed decided to drop everything and, sitting on an armor unit with AK, posts ads about selling his organs?

• Aziz Banyshev and nymphets from Donetsk

  
  

  Now Aziz Ivanov/Belov/Banyshev lives in Donetsk and swears allegiance to another 16 years old girl. We have tracked in the social profiles the private life of Aziz, and if his sweetheart wants to see the screenshots we can provide her with such a possibility in individual order (not to overload the article). We can be reached via the feedback form.

  

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On the example of this OSINT investigation, the volunteers of the InformNapalm international community demonstrated step by step the effectiveness of the method of collection and analysis of publicly available information. Skillful usage of this method lets successfully organize and conduct operations to detect, detain or eliminate criminal formations and armed groups of the united Russian-separatist forces. This information was also handed over to the Turkish diplomatic structures to draw their attention to the channels of penetration of agents of the Kremlin to Turkey and the EU.

Agents like Aziz Banyshev, who know particularities of the country of residence and have some battle experience, indeed can become an instrument for terrorist operations conducted by the Russian Federation abroad. And we should take such scenario seriously. 

• Remark

  
  

  For three weeks (since the end of 2015 and till beginning of 2016) our volunteers were passing to the government entities the information about the representative of an illegal armed formations from ‘DPR’ who could be an important link in a chain of organ trafficking. But in different state authorities we have met only the unwillingness to prevent this criminal activity. Thus, our publication is a signal to society that we are not going to leave our investigation results gather dust. We have learnt at first hand that Ukraine desperately needs an absolutely new and effective special service similar to Israel’s Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations (Mossad). Until the present time we do not have a reliable tool for solving issues of state security, and many existing authorities just duplicate each other and show their incompetency. That is why we consider sharing this information our duty. Perhaps there are people among our readers who can effectively use the data.

(CC BY 4.0)

Original article translated by Stepan Grishin