«Bagration?! “

Dedicated to the ‘hero’ of the inglorious war of 2014, Russian citizen of Georgian origin Zaza Khasia, in memory of the 3rd anniversary of his participation in the undeclared war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine

Most of the OSINT investigations of InformNapalm international intelligence community are based on the primary information provided by our readers – Ukrainians, Georgians, Belarusians, who shared with us interesting materials. This publication is no exception. If it were not for the primary data from our friends, we would not have learned about the new ‘Bagration’ and pride of Russia who raised arms against the fraternal nation.

On February 23, 2017, on VK social media website, a Defender of the Fatherland Day greeting was posted with hashtags #Georgians #February23 in the Georgian diaspora in Moscow group. Of the six photos of the ‘defenders’, our attention was drawn to a photo of an armed militant in a camouflage uniform and beret, a tactical vest and a machine gun against the backdrop of a T-64 tank.

There were several reasons that prompted us to find out more about this photo. First and foremost, the out-of-regulation appearance of the ‘defender’ of the Russian Federation, who looks more like a mercenary-militant of Novorossiya, and, of course, the T-64 tank.

Note: Ukrainian T-64 tanks were actively used by Russian-terrorist forces in the Donbas at the initial stage of the conflict. The reason for their use is trivial: to disguise the Russian presence and to make it look like all the equipment transferred from Russia was supposedly captured by ‘rebellious miners’ from the Ukrainian military. Indeed, some of these machines were seized from the Ukrainian Army. However, a large number of T-64 tanks were deployed to the east of Ukraine from Russia (see Fig. 1, 2, 3, 4), where there are hundreds of them are in conservation at storage bases. After a while, ‘separatists’ started using T-72 tanks, as well as other Russian weapons and equipment, which were no longer possible to disguise as captured.

According to military experts advising InformNapalm, the photo above most likely shows a tank captured from the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as evidenced by the specific pain job. Though, machines of this type were transferred from Russia as well. In any case, the photo of the militant with a T-64 on the background was taken in the Donbas.

We found a photograph of this particular tank, against which the militant poses, on the Lost Armour website. Moreover, there we found a photo of the T-64 with two militants sitting on it, and again one of them is the main figure of our OSINT investigation. The photo was taken in the same place as the first picture that attracted our attention.

According to the Lost Armour records, the first time the T-64BV tank was spotted near the village of Metalist in Luhansk Oblast on June 16, 2014. This tank, which was listed with the 128th Mountain Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, was captured by the so-called Luhansk Zarya Battalion (IAF Russian-terrorist troops) and later was in service with the ‘army of the South-East’.

Enough of the tank and let’s get back to the militant with a nickname zaza___18 (he is on the photo). Although the posing militant was very cautious in social networks, it was not difficult to identify him. The format of the photo suggests it was posted on Instagram. Using simple combinations, several search engines and analyzing the collected information, it was possible not only to identify the subject of the investigation, but also to collect a lot of information about him.

Zaza Tarielovich Khasia

Born on December 18, 1992. A registered place of his residence is in Moscow, according to the entry in the Moscow phone database from 2010. Originally from the Samegrelo region in Georgia.

Originally, the Khassia’s photos with a T-64 tank on the background were posted on Instagram / Instami,   uploaded on April 10, 2015. See Khassia’s pages on Instagram (archive) and other social networks tied to it: Instami (archive), Imgwonders (archive), Imgrum (archive).

On Instagram photographs Khassia often poses in the Hustle restaurant (6/20 Pokrovsky Blvd, Building 1, Moscow, Russia, 109028, tel.  7 495 221-22-71), co-owner of which is his old friend Alexander Chekanov.

Among other Instagram photos of Khassia’s glamorous life in Moscow are a picture with a ‘For Special Forces’ hookah, made by himself, as well as a photo with his mother, Inga Khassia.

Zaza Khasia was listed as a student of the Orthodox St. Tikhon Humanitarian University, a private educational institution of higher professional education, majoring in systematic theology of the confession, in 2015 under #36 with a minimal number of points 34.

Looking at the accounts of relatives of our subject, we found another photo of Z. Khassia in the photo album of his aunt, uploaded in January 2015. Like the first one, it testifies to his deployment to the Donbas. On the second photo Khassia poses in the same camouflage clothe, with new details – a St. George ribbon arm patch and a cross that is most similar to the so-called Award Cross “For Merit to the Cossacks of Russia”.

• Extract from the statute on the award cross

Award Cross “For Merit to the Cossacks of Russia”

Appendix No. 1 to the decision of the Council of Atamans of the Cossack societies of the Russian Federation from May 5, 2000, No. 5

Statute

About the Award Cross For Merit to the Cossacks of Russia

1. For Merit to the Cossacks of Russia award cross (hereinafter – the award cross) is awarded to:

• Military units and formations, border outposts and sea vessels bearing the name of Cossacks, for courage and heroism displayed in the performance of assigned tasks in combat, as well as exemplary service in peace time;
• Cossacks-veterans of the Great Patriotic War, Cossacks – combat participants for courage and heroism, Cossacks – servicemen, as well as Cossacks who are in the state and other service for the initiative, diligence and distinction shown in the performance of the tasks assigned to them and a significant contribution to the revival of Russian Cossacks, the defense and strengthening of the Russian state;
• Atamans of the military, Krai (divisional) and other Cossack societies, authoritative associations of the Cossacks, for the skillful leadership of the Cossack societies, achievements in the cause of the revival and state formation of the Cossacks;
• Cossacks who made a significant contribution to the revival of the Russian Cossacks in the fields of science, art and culture, education, entrepreneurship and business;
• Other citizens for active assistance in the revival of the Russian Cossacks and a significant contribution to the cause of its state formation.

2. The award cross has four degrees, reflecting the level of contribution to the cause of the revival of the Russian Cossacks and its state formation, as well as the official position and the Cossack rank presented for promotion:

For Merit to the Cossacks award cross of the 1st degree;

For Merit to the Cossacks award cross of the 2nd degree;

For Merit to the Cossacks award cross of the 3rd degree;

For Merit to the Cossacks award cross of the 4th degree;

3. The decision to reward with the 1st and 2nd degrees cross is taken by the Council of Atamans of the Cossack Military Societies of the Russian Federation, the award cross of 3rd and 4th degrees – the Council of Atamans of the Cossack Military Society.
4. The award cross and the certificate to it is given to the Cossack or another citizen in a solemn atmosphere.
5. The award cross is worn on the left side of the chest below the state awards of the Russian Federation.
6. A cross recipient is entitled to place its reduced image on the hilt of a Cossack saber and tie a saber knot from the ribbon of this cross.
7. Duplicates of the award cross and certificates to it in case of loss are not issued.

Appendix No. 1 to the decision of the Council of Atamans of the Cossack societies of the Russian Federation from May 5, 2000, No. 5

Description

Award For Merit to the Cossacks of Russia

Khassia’s accounts were also found in other public social networks. In OK he is registered as Zaza Dochia (archived profile, album, contacts), the account was abandoned in 2012. In VK he is registered as Misha Dochia (archived profile, album, contacts).

The most informative is Khassia’s VK profile, with his birthday: December 18. It also mentions military unit 54046 (the 9th Motorized Rifle Brigade, vil. Mulino in Volodarsky Raion of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Western Military District), where he served in 2012-2013. Noteworthy are the comments to many photos.

Although Zaza Khassia (aka Misha Dochia) cautiously hides his track records in social networks, judging by the photos from 2014, we can assume that immediately after the discharge from the conscript service in 2013 he signed a contract with the Armed Forces, most likely – in the intelligence unit of that very same 9th Brigade in Mulino. From there, either as a member of the unit, or as an independent “vacationer”, he was sent to the Donbas. This is indirectly indicated by the congratulatory post from February 23, 2014 with a mention of the Kubanka (a low sheepskin hat of Kuban Cossacks, which was often used by Russian military at the initial stage of the conflict in the Donbas for deception) and the photo of two militants from the back, clearly made in eastern Ukraine.

It is worth to recall our investigations from 2014, in the initial phase of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, which featured the 9th Brigade and its reconnaissance detachment, as well as the captured soldiers from this brigade.

• Russian Sabotage and Reconnaissance Groups in Ukraine long before August 24, 2014, 09/14/2014
• Embarrassment for Russia With Their Soldiers Being Captured in Ukraine, 12/02/2014

One way or another, we can confidently say that in 2014 Zaza Khassia was in the Donbas as a ‘defender of the Russian world’. It is irrelevant, if he was there as an active duty Russian military man or as a mercenary of the Zarya Battalion or another illegal armed unit.

While Russia occupies about 20% of the territory of Georgia and more than 270,000 of its citizens were forced to leave their homes, while Georgian patriots perish for the freedom and integrity of Ukraine, it is difficult to consider a member of the martial arts club named after Putin Zaza Khassia to be Georgian, despite his Georgian surname. More than blasphemous is his comment to the image, which reflects human losses in the Second World War: «Pride takes for such a large figure, for such a small nation.” It is about 300 thousand Georgians who died in that war.

Zaza Khassia is not the only Georgian defender of the Russian ‘fatherland’. We remind you that earlier InformNapalm wrote about other Georgians defending the ‘Russian world’ in the Ukrainian Donbas:

• Gogi, the Georgian son-in-law in DNR, 02/25/2015
• (Inter)National Terrorism Singularity. Gia a.k.a. ‘Problem’, 25.02.2015
• Russian Cossacks as the Russia’s Ministry of Defense Reserve, 09/01-2015

This publication was prepared on the basis of the own OSINT investigation by Irakly Komakhidze and Victory Krm.

Translated by Andrii Gryganskyi, edited by Svitlana Kemblowski

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