Karpaty special company task force is a part of the Wagner private military company (PMC), which serves the interests of Vladimir Putin and his entourage in Syria. It is special because it includes a few former professional military men of the Russian army and up to 10 Russian citizens holding command positions. The remaining personnel – about 40 men – are Ukrainian mercenaries who first fought for the interests of the Russian Federation in Donbas, and then went on to earn a living in the war in Syria. The team of the IHTAMNET_M0209 project together with the volunteers of InformNapalm volunteer intelligence community through the human intelligence (HUMINT) and open-source (OSINT) efforts, identified more than 50 mercenaries from the Karpaty task force. Their data are disclosed in this feature.
General information
For the first time, the existence of the Karpaty task force as part of the Russian Wagner PMC became known to the general public from the interview of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) militant Mikhail Polinkov, which was analyzed by the journalists of Donbass.Realii project.
“It is an assault force. People who have experience of fighting in Donbas are sent to the hottest spots. They go first – the Karpaty-Vesna group. I do not know why, but they are always sent in first, as cannon fodder.” – Polinkov told the pro-Russian media.
Russians initially intended the Karpaty unit for sabotage and subversive ops in the rear of the Ukrainian army. But because of lack of personnel training this idea was subsequently scrapped, and mercenaries from Donbas were sent to Syria.
During the briefing on May 7, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Gritsak, said that the SBU had established the identity of Lieutenant-Colonel Oleg Demyanenko, who is directly responsible for the training of the Karpaty team. Grytsak said that the bulk of the group’s personnel are members of illegal armed groups (IAGs) from the Ukrainian Donbas. He also thanked the volunteers for their help in gathering and processing of the information.
Commanders are professional military men from Russia, whereas rank-and-file personnel are mercenaries from Donbas IAGs
While gathering the information we established that the command positions in the Karpaty’s team are held exclusively by citizens of the Russian Federation who have combat experience acquired outside of Russia. We have identified eight Russians.
Aleksey Dmitriev , the company commander, a citizen of the Russian Federation, Wagner PMC personal number M-1880, born on November 16, 1977, call sign Vesna (Spring). The unit was initially named after the call sign of the commander. (Social media accounts: https://ok.ru/profile/534792605663, http://archive.is/zlnRY, https://my.mail.ru/bk/dronich2004/, http://archive.is/9pkog). Good quality photos could not be found.
Sergey Ryabihin a platoon commander, citizen of the Russian Federation, Wagner PMC personal number M-1882, born on March 05, 1969. (social media accounts: https://ok.ru/profile/524704403991, http://archive.is/VGtYw, archived photos: http://archive.is/yzGsx).
Andrey Shuvarikov , a platoon (squad) commander, citizen of the Russian Federation, Wagner PMC personal number M-1884, born on May 04, 1977. (social media accounts: https://vk.com/id33733995, http://archive.is/y2kN8, https://ok.ru/profile/333154705735, http://archive.is/Hq8hv)
Karim Sherimatov, sniper-scout, citizen of the Russian Federation, Wagner PMC personal number M-1123, born September 01, 1990. (social media accounts: https://vk.com/id325947195, https://vk.com/id325947195, archived photos: http://archive.is/2ECvV, https://vk.com/id434783143, http://archive.is/H57mp. Archived photos: http://archive.is/x6H7s, https://ok.ru/profile/576255072197, http://archive.is/U3gmI, archived photos http://archive.is/V5Vnp) 
Yury Busygin, rifleman, citizen of the Russian Federation, born December 10, 1979 of the year of birth. (social media accounts: https://ok.ru/busygin.yury, http://archive.is/aCeFG, archived photos: http://archive.is/rBxU8, https://vk.com/id289535051, http://archive.is/8ebzW, archived photos: http://archive.is/jHsHz).
He has photos from military operations in Chechnya, Georgia, Ukraine and Syria.
Eduard Kirpichev, rifleman, citizen of the Russian Federation, born on May 04, 1970 (listed in Karpaty task force, social media profiles not yet found).
Vladimir Pogrebnoy, rifleman, citizen of the Russian Federation, born on November 03, 1991. He has only one photo on social media. (https://vk.com/id295981307, http://archive.is/FiCRM)
UPD: After the initial publication of this article, a Twitter user nicknamed Necro Mancer reported other photos of this militant.Also his profile was found in the Myrotvorets
Georgy Fabrikov , rifleman, citizen of the Russian Federation, born on January 31, 1994. (social media accounts: https://vk.com/id247169711, http://archive.is/J2XAa, archived photos: http://archive.is/RlAE1, https://vk.com/id155606681, http://archive.is/i4e5L, archived photos: http://archive.is/dycXW). He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
The remaining personnel are Ukrainians; they lived in Ukraine before the war, but were recruited to participate in the war in Donbas and Syria on the side of the Russian Federation. They can hardly be called citizens of Ukraine, because they became the mercenaries of another country and took up arms against their compatriots. All of them are listed as riflemen of the Karpaty task force. Forty men were identified.
Oleksiy Bogdanov, born on July 17, 1975. Lived in the city of Donetsk. Took part in the battle of Ilovaisk. According to preliminary data, he was killed in action on November 18, 2017 in Syria. (social media accounts: https://www.facebook.com/shiper75, http://archive.is/JdJex, https://ok.ru/profile/486829400741, http://archive.is/X7IsB, archived photos: http://archive.is/N8jdE, https://vk.com/id19221870, http://archive.is/smTMI, archive http://archive.is/oWbGh). He also has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Petro Boyko , born on July 08, 1970. He is registered in the city of Druzhkivka, Donetsk Oblast. (social media accounts: https://vk.com/id144903052, http://archive.is/Xl03a, https://ok.ru/profile/512774935135, http://archive.is/uhYxn, archived photos http://archive.is/zvhAQ)
Volodymyr Boychenko , born on January 29, 1986. He is registered in the town of Artsyz, Odesa Oblast. (social media accounts: https://vk.com/id124410064, http://archive.is/w7eu6, archived photos: http://archive.is/HxQB2). He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Oleksiy Boyar, born on August 01, 1971. He is registered in the city of Donetsk. (social media accounts: https://vk.com/id298050115, http://archive.is/mwm7r, https://ok.ru/profile/560107860978, http://archive.is/IIZqm, https://ok.ru/profile/566099142000, http://archive.is/2QhHT)
Tymur Veremchuk, born on May 08, 1994. He is registered in the city of Donetsk.
Oleksiy Vereschagin, born on March 30, 1976. He is registered in the city of Kharkiv. (social media accounts: https://vk.com/id8244767, http://archive.is/Xrqg7, archived photos: http://archive.is/VF8qF). He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Andriy Gavrylenko, born on December 10, 1989. He is registered in the town of Nerubayske, Odesa Oblast.
(social media accounts: https://vk.com/id279230639, http://archive.is/Klk6F, archived photos http://archive.is/Ntj8K). He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Igor Gospodarev, born on June 30, 1981. He is registered in the city of Kharkiv. (social media accounts: https://vk.com/id48862807, http://archive.is/JFfrR). He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Oleg Grigoriev, born on December 01, 1974. He is registered in the town of Starobesheve, Donetsk Oblast. (social media accounts: https://vk.com/id291360873, http://archive.is/f32LB, archived photos: http://archive.is/TyHok). He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Volodymyr Gudko, born on January 03, 1991. He is registered in the village of Olexandrivka, Odessa Oblast. (social media accounts: https://vk.com/id125969889, http://archive.is/k5k5f, archived photos: http://archive.is/KIFuB). He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Sergiy Gusev, born on October 21, 1980. He is registered in the town of Razdolye, Pervomaisky district of the Kharkiv Oblast. (social media accounts: https://vk.com/id452929128, http://archive.is/Ue6ot, archived photos: http://archive.is/yMp1T, https://ok.ru/profile/527073904819, http://archive.is/E2n53,
archived photos: http://archive.is/ui2UL)
Sergiy Kalyna, born on August 03, 1971. He is registered in the city of Akhtyrka, Sumy Oblast. (social media accounts: http://ok.ru/profile/570373437353, https://vk.com/id96664321, http://archive.is/DogWE, archived photos http://archive.is/4Oci2). He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Oleksandr Kiyashko, born on June 19, 1993. He is registered in the city of Donetsk.Killed in action on the night from 7 to 8 April 2016 in the suburb of Latakia in Syria, 700 meters from the base camp. (social media accounts: https://vk.com/id62431410, http://archive.is/APYAb, archived photos: http://archive.is/ekDcU)
Andriy Kozyrenko, born on June 18, 1969. He is registered in the city of Torez, Donetsk Oblast. In 2015, captured by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, exchanged as a POW. After that, he went on to serve at Wagner PMC, was assigned to the Karpaty task force. Has a profile in the Myrotvorets database. In 2015, InformNapalm published an exclusive video of Kozyrenko’s interrogation.
Stanislav Kuznetsov, born on May 28, 1983. He is registered in the city of Donetsk. He has a profile in the Myrotvorets database.
Yuri Kulytsa, born on July 15, 1994. He is registered in the village of Vlasivka, Luhansk Oblast. (social media accounts: https://vk.com/id218579049, http://archive.is/e4y9f, archived photos: http://archive.is/g9TaD). He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Oleksandr Lobachev, born on May 31, 1973. He is registered in the city of Simferopol, Crimea. (social media accounts: https://ok.ru/profile/186379883460, http://archive.is/yS8mq, archived photos: http://archive.is/Zy7Mt). He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Oleksandr Maksymchuk, born on January 25, 1972. He is registered in the city of Kharkiv. He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Alex Mykhailov, bonr on July 13, 1973. He is registered in the city of Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast. He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Mykola Molchanov, born on February 25, 1992. He is registered in the city of Donetsk. (social media accounts: https://vk.com/mol4ah, http://archive.is/pDE3O, archived photos: http://archive.is/itvMA, https://vk.com/id366704346, http://archive.is/TrDvW, http://archive.is/zsO12). Photo from Syria in 2018.
Kostyantyn Morev, born on February 02, 1974. He is registered in the city of Kharkiv. He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Oleksandr Motynga, born on November 15, 1980. He is registered in the city of Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast. According to preliminary data, he was killed in action on June 14, 2017. (social media accounts: https://vk.com/id235292885, http://archive.is/CROs1, archived photos: http://archive.is/siFKO)
Mykola Nikolenko, born May 12, 1982. He is registered in the city of Donetsk. (social media accounts: https://vk.com/id377899784, http://archive.is/InNNc, https://vk.com/id139495814, http://archive.is/S68Yu, https://ok.ru/profile/528244450856, http://archive.is/AMrDZ)
Oleksiy Penyaskin, born on September 24, 1988. He is registered in the city of Makiivka, Donetsk Oblast. (social media accounts: https://vk.com/id23301879, http://archive.is/Az5mj, archived photos: http://archive.is/cJlTZ).
Oleksandr Pysarevsky, born on May 06, 1990. He is registered in the city of Makiivka, Donetsk Oblast. (social media accounts: https://vk.com/id416346280, http://archive.is/0ECDE, archived photos: http://archive.is/0lTzi)
Eduard Prykhodko, born on February 27, 1968. He is registered in the city of Horlivka, Donetsk Oblast. According to preliminary data, was killed in action on March 8, 2016 during the attack on the height 526 near Palmyra, on the mountain range of Jabal-Gait, Syria. He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Denys Rozhko, born on March 15, 1977. He is registered in the village Hrybivka, Odesa Oblast.
Viktor Sarzhan, born on November 28, 1969. He is registered in the town of Kryvyi Rih. He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Yury Safonenko, born on February 04, 1967. He is registered in the city of Donetsk. He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Oleksiy Serebryakov, born on September 21, 1981. He is registered in the town of Mospyne, Donetsk Oblast. He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Oleksandr Tachinsky, born on May 11, 1986. He is registered in the town of Pesochyn, Kharkiv Oblast. (social media profiles: https://vk.com/id150570627, http://archive.is/lc7Na, archived photos: http://archive.is/iO4Hq, http://ok.ru/profile/579147322425, http://archive.is/V00fN, archived photos: http://archive.is/ITBYL, https://ok.ru/profile/578475943692, http://archive.is/7byi4, archived photos: http://archive.is/0CRay).Has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Yevhen Tyutin , born on November 30, 1982. He is registered in the city of Kharkiv. In 2008 he was convicted under Art. 152 p.3 (group rape) for 4 years of imprisonment. (social media profiles: https://vk.com/id119588186, http://archive.is/KntRr, archived photos: http://archive.is/hjrlE). He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Artem Shepel, born on January 24, 1989. He is registered in the city of Horlivka, Donetsk Oblast. (social media profiles: https://vk.com/id170026667, http://archive.is/5vhtz). He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Maxym Shumeyko, born on April 26, 1977. He is registered in the city of Simferopol, Crimea. (social media profiles: https://vk.com/id396933090, http://archive.is/FJRtA, archived photos: http://archive.is/eK8Zb, https://vk.com/id106501509, http://archive.is/GU0hU, photo archive http://archive.is/cOiLq). He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Oleaksandr Shumilov, born on April 26, 1977. He is registered in the town of Solonytsivka, Kharkiv Oblast.(social media profiles: vk.com/id135821083, http://archive.is/84RAD, archived photos: http://archive.is/MgM80, vk.com/id271644757, http://archive.is/YMJhk, archived photos: http://archive.is/0R3iI). He has a profile in the Myrotvorets database.
Vitaly Yudyn, born on August 31, 1966.He is registered in Kyiv. He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Sergiy Yaschenko, born on October 04, 1972. He is registered in the city of Donetsk. (social media profiles: http://ok.ru/profile351890672416, http://archive.is/mLWxh, https://vk.com/id136037990, http://archive.is/faAn4, https://vk.com/id364170240 , http://archive.is/9M13S ).He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Dmytro Bilous, born on February 08, 1986. He is registered in the city of Kharkiv. He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Mykola Kravchenko, born on May 17, 1970. He is registered in the town of Yenakiieve, Donetsk Oblast. (social media profiles: https://vk.com/id448934379, http://archive.is/4IcN2, archived photos: http://archive.is/ZcaGd, https://ok.ru/profile/572082028601, http://archive.is/jCb16, http://archive.is/PvuvC). He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
Yevhen Mayorov, born on August 21, 1976. He is registered in the city of Donetsk. He has a profile in the Myrotvorets
There are 7 more men on the lists of Wagner PMC, designated to the Karpaty task force, whose citizenship we have not yet identified. All of them are listed as riflemen:
- Andriy Bukreev (Букреев Андрей Юрьевич)
- Vladyslav Kuzmenko (Кузьменко Владислав Александрович)
- Maksym Maksimov (Максимов Максим Максимович)
- Umar Mantaev (Мантаев Умар Мусаевич)
- Andriy Pomazan (Помазан Андрей Николаевич)
- Oleksiy Rubanov (Рубанов Алексей Сергеевич)
- Dmytro Semenchenko (Семенченко Дмитрий Владимирович)
We call on our readers who might have more information on them to contact us through the comments section or our Facebook page.
Let us recall that IHTAMNET_M0209 project team has already cooperated with InformNapalm yielding several large-scale studies on the personnel of Wagner PMC:
- Pulp Fiction of PMC “Wagner”: Murderers, Drug Addicts and Rapists in Putin’s Service
- Artillerymen of Wagner PMC in the service of Russia from Donbas to Syria – 20 mercenaries operating 2S1 howitzers identified
- Tankmen of Wagner PMC in the service of Russia from Donbas to Syria – 25 mercenaries identified
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