With regard to considerable public and media response to the topic of Wagner private military company (PMC) mercenaries used by Vladimir Putin and his inner circle for hybrid military operations outside the Russian Federation, we continue publishing intelligencesensitive to the Kremlin. We identified 20 more mercenaries from the self-propelled artillery battalion of Wagner PMC operating 2S1 Gvozdika 122 mm self-propelled howitzers. Among them, we identified two militants who were killed in action in Syria. Information concerning their deaths has been kept quiet. The information was collected through joint efforts of volunteers of InformNapalm international intelligence community, Ihtamnet_m0209 project team and hacktivists of the Ukrainian Cyber Alliance.
In the footsteps of Wagner PMC
A former serviceman of the 137th Airborne Regiment, the 106th Airborne Division of Russia (military unit #41450, based in Ryazan) helped us to identify the artillerymen. Sergey Mikhailovich Bobyrev, born October 06, 1971, retrained to be a gunner with a 2S1 howitzer crew at Wagner PMC, personal number M-1475.
The starting point of the investigation was his photo of festivities during Russian Airborne Forces Day 2016, where Bobyrev flashed a Wagner medal For Blood and Courage.
Archives: VK, photos.
Through Bobyrev, we got on the track of Alexey Ursu and Valentin Sazonov, as well as identified other Wagner artillerymen.
Alexey Nikolaevich Ursu, born June 14, 1985 in Novosibirsk city, personal number M-0415, driver-sapper in a 2S1 group of Wagner PMC (pictured above with the Wagner medal For Blood and Courage).
Valentin Dmitrievich Sazonov, born March 04, 1985 in Labinsk, Krasnodar Krai, personal number M-0568, squad commander in a 2S1 group of Wagner PMC. His contacts suggest that he used to serve in military unit #68323 of the Russian Federal Guard Service (FGS).
Archived OK,OK2,OK3 profiles.
Evgeny Anatolyevich Chernomashentsev, born July 31, 1969 in Astrakhan city, personal number M-0478, 2S1 crewman at Wagner PMC. Photos in his album suggest that he participated in punitive operations against the people of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (archive).
Archived OK,OK2, OK3, VK, VK2 profiles.
Pictured with awards.
Oleg Valentinovich Polatov, born October 23, 1980 in Yandemirovo village, Paranginsky district, Republic of Mari El, personal number M-1691, 2S1 gunner at Wagner PMC. He died in Syria in early October 2017, which is indicated by comments on the page of his brother Vladimir Polatov (archived photo album).
Oleg Polatov was awarded the Order of Courage for hisparticipation in punitive operations against the people of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.
This video in Mari language around 08:05 reports the death of Oleg Polatov in Syria.
According to our information, Polatov died on October 8, 2017. A few days earlier, assault and artillery units of Wagner PMC together with the Russian special operation groups were seen in Al-Quaryatayn in the Syrian province of Homs. Also, active military operations involving the Russians took place in the area of Al-Sukhnah and Al-Mayadin cities.
2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer pictured near Al-Quaryatayn. Presumably, belongs to Wagner PMC. The picture was taken on October 5 or 6, 2017.
A Convoy of Russian hybrid forces – units of Wagner PMC and Russian special operations troops. The photo was taken on October 5 or 6, 2017 near Al-Quaryatayn.
Alexander Aleksandrovich Pichugin, born January 28, 1977 in Krasnodar city, personal number M-1706, platoon commander of the Gun Position Office (GPO) platoon of Wagner PMC. He was awarded the Medal for Bravery.
Archived profiles: VK, OK, OK2.
In this photo, Pichugin is pictured in a Syrian uniform of the Desert Falcons unit (note the photo of another serviceman in the upper right corner to compare the shoulder patches).
On social networks, Pichugin also commented on the destruction by the Americans of a large group of his Wagner colleagues.
Read more: Identification of a Russian scout who exchanged the Donbas coal mines for the sands of Syria.
Pichugin also took part in the hostilities against Ukraine in Donbas (note this photo among the militants wearing the telling white arm bands).
Back to Syria, it is worth noting that the arsenal of the Desert Falcons features the following Russian equipment: T-90A and T-72B3 main battle tanks, BTR-80 armored personnel carriers; BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, D-30A howitzers, Tigr infantry mobility vehicles, as well as one R-166-0.5 Artek signals vehicle.
Pictured: a Wagner PMC mercenary next to a militant of the Desert Falcons unit.
Alexander Viktorovich Krakhmalov, born January 09, 1973 in Labinsk city, Krasnodar Krai, personal number M-0571, driver-mechanic and grenade-launcher operator of a 2S1 crew at Wagner PMC.
Archived OK profile.
Vitaly Viktorovich Arzamaskov, born December 06, 1983 in Goryachiy Klyuch city, Krasnodar Krai, personal number M-1979, squad commander of a 2S1 fire platoon at Wagner PMC.
Nikolay Alexandrovich Chukashov, born March 10, 1994 in Leninogorsk city, Republic of Tatarstan, personal number M-1998, gunner of a 2S1 crew at Wagner PMC.
Alexander Andreevich Nikulin, born June 14, 1992 in Blagoveshchensk city, personal number M-0605, gunner of a 2S1 crew at Wagner PMC.
Archived profiles: VK, VK2, VK3, OK.
Pictured wearing a Wagner token with a legible personal number.
Evgeny Mikhailovich Kotygin, born March 26, 1976 in Belgorod city, personal number M-1476, 2S1 gun crew commander at Wagner PMC.
We found only his relatives on social media.
Zaur Tahirovich Kadyrliev, born January 14, 1979, presumably, in Belgorod city, personal number M-1999, gunner of a 2S1 crew at Wagner PMC.
He did his conscript service in the 21st Air Assault Brigade.
Roman Rustemovich Gafurov, personal number M-0576, driver-mechanic and grenade-launcher operator of a 2S1 crew at Wagner PMC. He was mentioned in a court ruling of the Russian Federation in connection of threats of murder (archive).
Evgeny Gennadievich Sukhonosov, born March 19, 1980 in Znamensk city, Astrakhan Oblast, personal number M-0941, driver-mechanic and grenade-launcher operator of a 2S1 crew at Wagner PMC. He did his conscript service in 1096th Separate Logistics Battalion of the Russian Army (military unit #93203). His friend lists on social networks contain 4 Wagner mercenaries.Archived profiles: ОК, ОК2, photos.
Mikhail Ivanovich Stepkin, born August 22, 1968 in Engels city, Saratov Oblast, personal number M-1676, radio and telephone operator of a 2S1 crew at Wagner PMC.
Pictured in the occupied Sevastopol, Stepkin is on the left.
And here Stepkin posts a picture of an orc with arrogant comments, apparently meant to scare Ukrainians, December 2014.
Vladimir Ivanovich Gerasimenko, born October 04, 1962 in Novocherkassk city, personal number M-1081, radio and telephone operator of a 2S1 fire platoon at Wagner PMC.
Alexander Olegovich Bogatyr, born February 28, 1986 in Mariupol, citizen of Ukraine, personal number M-1677, 2S1 gun crew commander at Wagner PMC.Has been listed on the database of Myrotvorets web site. He is wanted in Ukraine for setting up a terrorist group.
Archived profiles: VK, VK2, VK3, OK, OK2.
Alexander Nikolayevich Kashuba, personal number M-1470, 2S1 gun crew commander at Wagner PMC. He is hiding under the alias Alexander Muromets on social media.Archived profiles: VK, photos.
Nikolay Vladimirovich Zhdan, born April 29, 1993 in Nizhne-Makaevsky village, Tarasovsky district of Rostov Oblast, personal number M-1997, driver-mechanic and grenade-launcher operator of a 2S1 crew at Wagner PMC.
He took part in the hostilities in Donbas.
Archived profiles: VK, VK2, VK3, OK, OK2.
Vsevolod Vyacheslavovich Bezrutchenko, born December 02, 1972 in Saratov city, personal numberM-1708, driver-mechanic of a 2S1 crew at Wagner PMC.
Killed in Syria, together with Oleg Polatov. On a personal photo, he wears a Wagner medal For Blood and Courage.
Archived profiles: OK, OK2, OK3.
Read more in our previous investigations identifying the militants of Wagner PMC.
Tankmen of Wagner PMC in the service of Russia from Donbas to Syria – 25 mercenaries identified.
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