{"id":11322,"date":"2017-06-30T21:12:04","date_gmt":"2017-06-30T21:12:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/?p=11322"},"modified":"2017-07-01T10:43:06","modified_gmt":"2017-07-01T10:43:06","slug":"identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/","title":{"rendered":"Identified: Russian contract soldier of 291st Artillery Brigade in Novorossia illegal armed groups"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><em>Within the ongoing operation code-named Vacancy, InformNapalm volunteer intelligence community identified another contract serviceman of the 291st Artillery Brigade of the Russian Army, who was seconded to illegal armed groups (IAG) of Novorossia.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>On June 9, 2017 InformNapalm published a feature titled <a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/35779-81-artillerist-291j-brigady\/\">81 artillerymen of the 291st Brigade carrying out Kremlin&#8217;s criminal orders in Ukraine (Infographics)<\/a>. In that story we identified 40 Russian artillerymen, the newly detected &#8220;veterans of Donbas 2014&#8221;. But its publication also pursued other goals:<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Infographics<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>We thought it was time to summarize all the information about the 291st Artillery Brigade collected over the past 3 years and to put it together into single infographics, which would clearly showcase the data on the participants of the Rostov-Ukraine and Syria deployments and the artillery brigade itself &#8211; its structure, armament, commanders.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Vacancy<\/em><em> operation<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Attentive readers must have noticed &#8220;vacant&#8221; positions on the infographics &#8211; they were put there on purpose. A few days after the publication of that piece, <strong>we managed to provoke one of the servicemen of the 291st Brigade, who involuntarily provided us with undeniable evidence of his current deployment to the territory of the occupied Donbas.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Infographics<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>In view of the new data, the updated infographics contain data on <strong>82 artillerymen<\/strong> of the 291st Artillery Brigade. In the personal data block we have marked the servicemen, who have been decorated with awards (listing the relevant departmental and state decorations), as well as servicemen, seconded to the IAGs of the Donetsk People&#8217;s Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People&#8217;s Republic (LPR), marking them with the flag of Novorossia.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2017\/06\/infografika_291_brigada_upd_en-_3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-11336\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2017\/06\/infografika_291_brigada_upd_en-_3-1024x688.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"978\" height=\"657\" srcset=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2017\/06\/infografika_291_brigada_upd_en-_3-1024x688.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2017\/06\/infografika_291_brigada_upd_en-_3-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2017\/06\/infografika_291_brigada_upd_en-_3-768x516.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 978px) 100vw, 978px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Bait and catch<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As a result of comprehensive HUMINT and OSINT effort, InformNapalm volunteers managed to detect another serviceman of the 291st Artillery Brigade (military unit 64670, Ingushetia, Troitskaya village) of the 58th Field Army of the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces, who is currently on a military deployment in the occupied Donbas.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Vladimir Alekseenko<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/0-232x300.jpg\" \/>Born November 17, 1996 in Taganrog, Russia. Before entering his conscript service, Alekseenko <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/t0x26\">enrolled<\/a>\u00a0in one of the military patriotic clubs in his native Taganrog to receive initial military training. He did his conscript military service from autumn 2014 to autumn 2015. The first half-year he served in the city of Yeisk (Center for Combat Training and Retraining of the Naval Air Force and Air Defense), then he was transferred to the Far East, to the naval aviation unit of the Pacific Fleet. This fact is supported by a series of photographs, some\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/lPveh\">geotagged <\/a>\u00a0to Artem airfield (Tsentralnaya Uglovaya air base near Vladivostok).<\/p>\n<p>After his discharge from the navy and a six-month pause, he signed a 3-year contract for service with the 291st Artillery Brigade stationed in Ingushetia (presumably in an anti-tank battery of MT-12 anti-tank guns), as evidenced by a series of photographs, including some\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/Cdmk1\">geotagged<\/a>\u00a0to Troitskaya village. Since June 2017, he has been spotted on the territory of the occupied Donbas as an artillery instructor in the DPR IAGs.<\/p>\n<p>Accounts on social networks:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id364590082\">VK1<\/a>\u00a0(archived\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/1AhxI\">profile<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/izANa\">photos<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/d6dF2\">contacts<\/a>) active, <a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id214445627\">VK2\u00a0<\/a>(archived\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/LCWdf\">profile<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/4TIU1\">photos<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/mVHba\">contacts<\/a>) inactive since 2016, <a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id167871809\">VK3<\/a>\u00a0inactive since 2013, <a href=\"https:\/\/ok.ru\/profile\/528459089438?st._aid=FriendFriend_Visit\">\u041eK<\/a>\u00a0(archived\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/PamEd\">profile<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/aQXUP\">photos<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/uYgcm\">contacts<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Eisk-300x242.jpg\" width=\"208\" height=\"169\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Artem-300x232.jpg\" width=\"221\" height=\"173\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/troickay-1-300x237.jpg\" width=\"211\" height=\"168\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/troickay-2-300x235.jpg\" width=\"212\" height=\"168\" \/><\/p>\n<p>One of the main proofs of Alekseenko&#8217;s Ukrainian deployment is the <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/dlJk6\">\u00a0group photo<\/a>\u00a0of the &#8220;riverside quartet&#8221; posted on June 11, 2017. Read below the analysis of the rest of the identified servicemen.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/0-1.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>His album contains a number of other photos from the period of June 4-13, 2017, among which<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>there is a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/c8FXI\">selfie<\/a> with a view of Zuevska Thermal Power Plant in Zuhres, Donetsk Oblast;<\/li>\n<li>a <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/hB24Q\">selfie<\/a> with a 100-mm Rapira anti-tank gun (MT-12, 2A29);<\/li>\n<li>a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/L9Xtj\">selfie<\/a> with ammunition boxes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In all these photos, Alekseenko poses in a non-statutory gorka uniform often worn by the personnel of the Russian hybrid forces in Donbas. We could roughly\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.ge\/maps\/place\/47%C2%B056&amp;apos;57.7&amp;quot;N+38%C2%B015&amp;apos;34.5&amp;quot;E\/@47.94941,38.2574132,533m\/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d47.9493724!4d38.2595793\">locate<\/a>\u00a0the photo shoot to a training range near the Krynka river between the villages of Shyroke and Pokrovka in the Donetsk Oblast.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/don-2-1.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/don-1-1.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/don-5-300x236.jpg\" width=\"204\" height=\"162\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/don-6-300x234.jpg\" width=\"199\" height=\"157\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>In addition to Alekseenko, we managed to identify the remaining members of the &#8220;riverside quartet&#8221;.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Vladimir Kalgan<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/VK-0-263x300.jpg\" width=\"223\" height=\"252\" \/>Born December 9, 1981 in\u00a0Krasnodar, Russia.<\/p>\n<p>A mercenary with Novorossia IAGs. The album contains a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/xiZcE\">photo<\/a>\u00a0of the &#8220;quartet&#8221; uploaded on June 10, 2017.<\/p>\n<p>Accounts on social networks:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id419119340\">VK<\/a>\u00a0(archived <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/fJZhA\">profile<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/fzJ0R\">photos<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/802Sl\">contacts<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Alexander Knyazev<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/AK-0.jpg\" width=\"223\" height=\"262\" \/>Originally from Donetsk, Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>A mercenary with Novorossia IAGs. The album contains a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/GDKUy\">photo<\/a>\u00a0of the &#8220;quartet&#8221; uploaded on June 10, 2017.<\/p>\n<p>Accounts on social networks:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id175731496\">VK<\/a>\u00a0(archived <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/kBnSm\">profile<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/nRQH4\">photos<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/9HNql\">contacts<\/a>).<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Vladimir Grek<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/vg-o.jpg\" width=\"236\" height=\"281\" \/>Born on August 20, 1989, presumably in Slavyansk-on-Kuban, Russia.<\/p>\n<p>A mercenary with Novorossia IAGs. The album contains a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/iplwr\">photo<\/a>\u00a0of the &#8220;quartet&#8221; uploaded on June 10, 2017.<\/p>\n<p>Accounts on social networks:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id275590306\">VK<\/a>\u00a0(archived <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/T9aFe\">profile<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/xDPhX\">photos<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/0o8Jo\">contacts<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/19113165_616531301850671_630191198_n-1.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Another photo from the same location is also noteworthy: Alekseenko is posing with another trio on it, whom we also managed to identify.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/2017_06_13.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Vladislav Gizbrecht<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/VG-0.jpg\" width=\"222\" height=\"242\" \/>Born March 4, 1993 in Donetsk, Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>A mercenary with Novorossia IAGs. The album has a series of interesting photos, including joint images with the objects of this investigation, including the Russian contract serviceman Alekseenko and the MT-12 gun mentioned above.<\/p>\n<p>Accounts on social networks:<a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id345603954\">\u00a0VK1<\/a>\u00a0(archived <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/zZVNG\">profile<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/MOA0m\">photos<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/B5fO4\">contacts<\/a>) active,<a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id224464917\"> VK2<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id184873754\">VK3 <\/a>inactive profiles.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/VG-3-1024x491.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/VG-1-300x154.jpg\" width=\"289\" height=\"154\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/VG-2-300x230.jpg\" width=\"193\" height=\"150\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Aleksey Uvarov<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/AU-0.jpg\" width=\"223\" height=\"249\" \/>Born March 2, 1988 in St. Petersburg, Russia.<\/p>\n<p>A mercenary with Novorossia IAGs. The album has a series of interesting photos, including joint images with the objects of this investigation, including the Russian contract serviceman Alekseenko and the MT-12 gun mentioned above.<\/p>\n<p>Accounts on social networks:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id179161218\">VK1<\/a>\u00a0(archived\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/QCY2A\">profile<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/GWiRZ\">photos<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/8EXiJ\">contacts<\/a>),\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id30161752\">VK2<\/a> inactive profile.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/AU-1.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/AU-2-300x235.jpg\" width=\"216\" height=\"171\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/AU-3-300x191.jpg\" width=\"266\" height=\"174\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Nikolay Nikolaevich<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><em>(surname not available)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/NN-0.jpg\" width=\"224\" height=\"266\" \/>Born May 13, 1984. Supposedly from St. Petersburg (or from Tyumen). Judging by the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/6k9YI\">underworld-style tattoos<\/a>, recently released from jail.<\/p>\n<p>A mercenary with Novorossia IAGs. He is cautious with posting Novorossia photos, however in his album he has a series of pictures from Donetsk. He was identified in the albums of other investigation objects, including in joint pictures with others connected to this investigation, including the Russian contract soldier Alekseenko and the MT-12 gun mentioned above.<\/p>\n<p>Accounts on social networks:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id302889672\">VK<\/a>\u00a0(archived <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/8QCuH\">profile<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/AzgVr\">photos<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/rVfLx\">contacts<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/nn.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/NN--300x169.jpg\" width=\"246\" height=\"143\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/NN-1-1-300x212.jpg\" width=\"200\" height=\"145\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3><strong><em>Hybrid service in the Russian Army<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><em>The latest investigation proves again our point that a part of Russian contract servicemen are doing hybrid service.. Remaining on the Russian Army rosters, they are assigned to so-called &#8220;Novorossia militia&#8221; as instructors, artillerymen, snipers or military specialists, responsible for communication and coordination with main forces, deployed on the ongoing alert mission across the Russian border.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>InformNapalm has already presented dozens of similar facts about several Russian military units: <\/em><em><br \/>\n<\/em><em>from Southern Military District &#8211; <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/novorossiya-militant-s-contract-was-finalized-in-military-recruiting-office-of-volgograd-russia\/\"><em>291st Artillery Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 64670, Troitskaya, Republic of Ingushetia),\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/russian-scout-7th-military-base-given-away-bull-terrier-horlivka\/\"><em>7th Military Base<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 09332, occupied Abkhazia, Georgia), <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/the-russian-8th-brigade-s-servicemen-return-from-donbas-as-cargo-200-or-disabled\/\"><em>8th Mountain Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 16544, Borzoi, Republic of Chechnya),\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/f-cked-brigade-former-contract-soldier-17th-mrb-russian-army-video\/\"><em>17th Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 65384, Shali, Chechnya),\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/3-trips-from-18th-brigade\/\"><em>18th Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 27777, Kalinovskaya village, Chechnya),\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/tracking-down-a-scout-from-the-136th-brigade\/\"><em>136th Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 63354, Buynaksk, Dagestan),<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/russian-contract-servicemen-of-the-205th-smrb-in-ukraine\/\"><em>205th Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 74814, Budyonnovsk, Stavropol Krai),\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/36523-donbas-snaiper-vs-rf-opolchenie-novorosii\/\"><em>19th Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 20634, Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia), <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/russian-33th-brigade-in-donetsk\/\"><em>33rd Mountain Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 22179, Maykop, Adygea),\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/jan13-donbas-34th\/\"><em>34th Mountain Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 01485, Storozhevaya, Karachay-Cherkess Republic); <\/em><em><br \/>\n<\/em><em>from Central Military District \u2014\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/the-23rd-brigade-s-armed-vehicles-and-personnel-as-part-of-novorossiya-s-armed-formations\/\"><em>23rd Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 65349, Samara),\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/uses-15th-motorized-rifle-brigade\/\"><em>15th Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0of peacekeeping forces (military unit 90600, Roshchinsky training range, Volzhsky District, Samara Oblast),<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/feb11-donbas-antiair\/\"><em>21st Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 12128, Totskoye, Orenburg Oblast),<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/recon-contract-soldier-from-russia-s-28th-motorized-rifle-brigade-fights-in-pyatnashka-in-the-donbas\/\"><em>28th Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 61423, Yekaterinburg),<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/paratroopers-of-the-31st-brigade-from-ulyanovsk-as-patriot-militants-in-donbas\/\"><em>31st Air Assault Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 73612, Ulyanovsk). Some units of the <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/investigation-revealed-soldiers-russian-national-guard\/\"><em>Russian Guard<\/em><\/a> <em>and other Russian <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/mar04-youtube-open-letter\/\"><em>law enforcement agencies<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0have been involved in manning the IAGs too.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Background information<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>The 291st Artillery Brigade<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/takt-146x300.jpg\" \/>Military unit 64670, permanent station in Ingushetia, Troitskaya village. In the first half of 2011, the brigade was redeployed from Maykop (Adygea) to Ingushetia.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The unit is part of the 58th Field Army of the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces. Presumed strength: 6 artillery battalions: a self-propelled gun battalion, a self-propelled mortar battalion, a howitzer battalion, a rocket artillery battalion, an anti-tank battalion, a reconnaissance battalion, as well as a control battery, a logistics company, a maintenance company, 2 separate platoons (an engineer platoon and a NBC platoon). Equipment in service: 18 pcs of Msta-B howitzers, 8 pcs of Uragan MLRS, 6 pcs of Rapira guns, 18 pcs of Khrizantema-S self-propelled ATGW system, as well as 2 AZK 7 automatic acoustic detecting systems. As of 2016 the brigade\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/tyulpan-mortars-russian-291st-artillery-brigade-shelled-ukraine\/\"><em>received for operation<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0powerful artillery systems &#8211; 12 pcs 2S7M Malka self-propelled guns and 3 pcs 2S4 Tyulpan heavy 240-mm self-propelled mortars. Total personnel strength &#8211; about 600 persons.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Personnel of the 291st Artillery Brigade has been repeatedly spotted on Ukrainian and Syrian deployments, &#8211; this unit appears in 14 OSINT investigations of InformNapalm:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/armed-forces-russian-federation-spotted-along-ukrainian-border-donbas\/\">Armed Forces of Russian Federation Spotted along the Ukrainian Border and in Donbas<\/a>,\u00a02014-08-24<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identification-units-russian-armed-forces-deployed-fight-eastern-ukraine\/\">Units of the Russian Armed Forces Which Have Been Deployed to Fight in Eastern Ukraine<\/a>,\u00a02014-09-19<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identification-military-units-armament-artillery-elements-russian-invasion-forces\/\">Identification of Military Units and the Armament of Artillery Elements of the Russian Invasion Forces<\/a>,\u00a02014-09-30<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/291st-artillery-brigades-tour-duty-crimea-donbass\/\">291st artillery brigade\u2019s \u201cTour of duty\u201d from Crimea to Donbass<\/a>,2014-11-12<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/7707-rossyya-foto-pozytsyj-artylleryy-vs-rf-obstrelyvavshej-terrytoryyu-ukrayny-v-2014-godu\"> Photos of artillery positions of the Russian Army shelling the territory of Ukraine in 2014<\/a>2015-04-05<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/novorossiya-militant-s-contract-was-finalized-in-military-recruiting-office-of-volgograd-russia\/\">\u2018Novorossiya\u2019 Militant\u2019s Contract Was Finalized in Military Recruiting Office of Volgograd, Russia<\/a>,\u00a02015-10-07<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/russia-began-a-concealed-ground-operation-in-syria\/\">Russia Began a Concealed Ground Operation in Syria<\/a>, 2015-10-29<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/dec06-artillery-syria\/\">East Is a Delicate Matter: 29 Servicemen from 291st Artillery Brigade in Syria<\/a>,\u00a02015-12-07<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/dec18-291-crimes-part1\/\">War Crimes of Russian 291st Brigade in War Against Ukraine. Part 1<\/a>,\u00a02015-12-18<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/dec21-291-crimes-part2\/\">War Crimes of Russian 291st Brigade in War Against Ukraine. Part 2<\/a>,\u00a012\/21\/2015<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/syrian-dividends-291st-artillery-brigade\/\">Syrian Dividends of Russian Army 291st Artillery Brigade Soldiers<\/a>, 2016-03-27<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/jun09-291-brigade-donbas\/\">291st Artillery Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces is Back on the Donbas Radar for a Record 12th Time<\/a>,\u00a02016-06-09<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/tyulpan-mortars-russian-291st-artillery-brigade-shelled-ukraine\/\">Tyulpan mortars for the Russian 291st Artillery Brigade which shelled Ukraine<\/a>, 2017-04-13<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/35779-81-artillerist-291j-brigady\/\">81 artillerymen of the 291st Brigade carrying out Kremlin&#8217;s criminal orders in Ukraine (Infographics)<\/a>, 2017-06-09<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Databases of identified active Russian military personnel and evidence of their involvement in the fighting in Ukraine as part of the Russian hybrid forces are available here:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/category\/top-investigations\/\">https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/category\/top-investigations\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/08\/InformNapalm_logo_05.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8997\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/08\/InformNapalm_logo_05.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"134\" height=\"59\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><em>This publication was prepared by <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/irakli.komaxidze\"><strong><em>Irakli Komaxidze<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><em>on the basis of his own OSINT investigation specially for\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/\"><em>InformNapalm<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><em>Translated by Andrii Gryganski, edited by Artem Velichko\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><em>Infographics\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=100004814202997\"><strong><em>Alex Alexidze<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><em>Locations identification\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=100010235495201\"><em>Mikhail Kuznetsov<\/em><\/a><em> and\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/krmvictory\"><em>Victory Krm<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><em><br \/>\n<\/em><em>(<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\"><em>Creative Commons \u2014 Attribution 4.0 International \u2014 CC BY 4.0<\/em><\/a><em>)<\/em><em><br \/>\n<\/em><strong><em>Repost and\u00a0share with friends.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><em><br \/>\n<\/em><em>For notifications about InformNapalm investigations follow us on\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/informnapalm24\/\">Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/InformNapalm\">Twitter<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/informnapalm\">Telegram<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Within the ongoing operation code-named Vacancy, InformNapalm volunteer intelligence community identified another contract serviceman of the 291st&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":11323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[529,528],"tags":[798,167],"class_list":["post-11322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-donbas","category-news","tag-291st-artillery-brigade","tag-russian-armed-forces"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Identified: Russian contract soldier of 291st Artillery Brigade in Novorossia illegal armed groups - InformNapalm.org (English)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"InformNapalm identified another contract serviceman of 291st Artillery Brigade of Russian Army, who was seconded to illegal armed groups of Novorossia.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Identified: Russian contract soldier of 291st Artillery Brigade in Novorossia illegal armed groups - InformNapalm.org (English)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"InformNapalm identified another contract serviceman of 291st Artillery Brigade of Russian Army, who was seconded to illegal armed groups of Novorossia.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"InformNapalm.org (English)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-06-30T21:12:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-07-01T10:43:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2017\/06\/19113165_616531301850671_630191198_n.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"642\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"336\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"vasgri\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"vasgri\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"vasgri\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/d9ac22904157eeb67f0b60921e87d8bf\"},\"headline\":\"Identified: Russian contract soldier of 291st Artillery Brigade in Novorossia illegal armed groups\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-06-30T21:12:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-07-01T10:43:06+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/\"},\"wordCount\":1699,\"commentCount\":1,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2017\/06\/19113165_616531301850671_630191198_n.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"291st Artillery Brigade\",\"Russian Armed Forces\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Donbas\",\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/\",\"name\":\"Identified: Russian contract soldier of 291st Artillery Brigade in Novorossia illegal armed groups - InformNapalm.org (English)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2017\/06\/19113165_616531301850671_630191198_n.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-06-30T21:12:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-07-01T10:43:06+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/d9ac22904157eeb67f0b60921e87d8bf\"},\"description\":\"InformNapalm identified another contract serviceman of 291st Artillery Brigade of Russian Army, who was seconded to illegal armed groups of Novorossia.\u00a0\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2017\/06\/19113165_616531301850671_630191198_n.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2017\/06\/19113165_616531301850671_630191198_n.jpg\",\"width\":642,\"height\":336},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Identified: Russian contract soldier of 291st Artillery Brigade in Novorossia illegal armed groups\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/\",\"name\":\"InformNapalm.org (English)\",\"description\":\"Latest News from Ukraine\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/d9ac22904157eeb67f0b60921e87d8bf\",\"name\":\"vasgri\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5851afa9a0b73acb616f1433ce0c88213f283b6c8f0d65289e0763ccd1703343?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5851afa9a0b73acb616f1433ce0c88213f283b6c8f0d65289e0763ccd1703343?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"vasgri\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/author\/vasgri\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Identified: Russian contract soldier of 291st Artillery Brigade in Novorossia illegal armed groups - InformNapalm.org (English)","description":"InformNapalm identified another contract serviceman of 291st Artillery Brigade of Russian Army, who was seconded to illegal armed groups of Novorossia.\u00a0","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Identified: Russian contract soldier of 291st Artillery Brigade in Novorossia illegal armed groups - InformNapalm.org (English)","og_description":"InformNapalm identified another contract serviceman of 291st Artillery Brigade of Russian Army, who was seconded to illegal armed groups of Novorossia.\u00a0","og_url":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/","og_site_name":"InformNapalm.org (English)","article_published_time":"2017-06-30T21:12:04+00:00","article_modified_time":"2017-07-01T10:43:06+00:00","og_image":[{"width":642,"height":336,"url":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2017\/06\/19113165_616531301850671_630191198_n.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"vasgri","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"vasgri","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/"},"author":{"name":"vasgri","@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/d9ac22904157eeb67f0b60921e87d8bf"},"headline":"Identified: Russian contract soldier of 291st Artillery Brigade in Novorossia illegal armed groups","datePublished":"2017-06-30T21:12:04+00:00","dateModified":"2017-07-01T10:43:06+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/"},"wordCount":1699,"commentCount":1,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2017\/06\/19113165_616531301850671_630191198_n.jpg","keywords":["291st Artillery Brigade","Russian Armed Forces"],"articleSection":["Donbas","News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/","url":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/","name":"Identified: Russian contract soldier of 291st Artillery Brigade in Novorossia illegal armed groups - InformNapalm.org (English)","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2017\/06\/19113165_616531301850671_630191198_n.jpg","datePublished":"2017-06-30T21:12:04+00:00","dateModified":"2017-07-01T10:43:06+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/d9ac22904157eeb67f0b60921e87d8bf"},"description":"InformNapalm identified another contract serviceman of 291st Artillery Brigade of Russian Army, who was seconded to illegal armed groups of Novorossia.\u00a0","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2017\/06\/19113165_616531301850671_630191198_n.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2017\/06\/19113165_616531301850671_630191198_n.jpg","width":642,"height":336},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identified-russian-contract-soldier-of-291st-artillery-brigade-in-novorossia-illegal-armed-groups\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Identified: Russian contract soldier of 291st Artillery Brigade in Novorossia illegal armed groups"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/","name":"InformNapalm.org (English)","description":"Latest News from Ukraine","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/d9ac22904157eeb67f0b60921e87d8bf","name":"vasgri","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5851afa9a0b73acb616f1433ce0c88213f283b6c8f0d65289e0763ccd1703343?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5851afa9a0b73acb616f1433ce0c88213f283b6c8f0d65289e0763ccd1703343?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"vasgri"},"url":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/author\/vasgri\/"}]}},"post_src":"<strong><em>Within the ongoing operation code-named Vacancy, InformNapalm volunteer intelligence community identified another contract serviceman of the 291st Artillery Brigade of the Russian Army, who was seconded to illegal armed groups (IAG) of Novorossia.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\r\n\r\nOn June 9, 2017 InformNapalm published a feature titled <a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/35779-81-artillerist-291j-brigady\/\">81 artillerymen of the 291st Brigade carrying out Kremlin's criminal orders in Ukraine (Infographics)<\/a>. In that story we identified 40 Russian artillerymen, the newly detected \"veterans of Donbas 2014\". But its publication also pursued other goals:\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Infographics<\/em><\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>We thought it was time to summarize all the information about the 291st Artillery Brigade collected over the past 3 years and to put it together into single infographics, which would clearly showcase the data on the participants of the Rostov-Ukraine and Syria deployments and the artillery brigade itself - its structure, armament, commanders.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong><em>Vacancy<\/em><em> operation<\/em><\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Attentive readers must have noticed \"vacant\" positions on the infographics - they were put there on purpose. A few days after the publication of that piece, <strong>we managed to provoke one of the servicemen of the 291st Brigade, who involuntarily provided us with undeniable evidence of his current deployment to the territory of the occupied Donbas.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong><em>Infographics<\/em><\/strong>\r\n\r\n<em>In view of the new data, the updated infographics contain data on <strong>82 artillerymen<\/strong> of the 291st Artillery Brigade. In the personal data block we have marked the servicemen, who have been decorated with awards (listing the relevant departmental and state decorations), as well as servicemen, seconded to the IAGs of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), marking them with the flag of Novorossia.<\/em>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2017\/06\/infografika_291_brigada_upd_en-_3.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-11336\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2017\/06\/infografika_291_brigada_upd_en-_3-1024x688.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"978\" height=\"657\" \/><\/a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Bait and catch<\/em><\/strong>\r\n\r\nAs a result of comprehensive HUMINT and OSINT effort, InformNapalm volunteers managed to detect another serviceman of the 291st Artillery Brigade (military unit 64670, Ingushetia, Troitskaya village) of the 58th Field Army of the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces, who is currently on a military deployment in the occupied Donbas.\r\n<h3><strong>Vladimir Alekseenko<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/0-232x300.jpg\" \/>Born November 17, 1996 in Taganrog, Russia. Before entering his conscript service, Alekseenko <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/t0x26\">enrolled<\/a>\u00a0in one of the military patriotic clubs in his native Taganrog to receive initial military training. He did his conscript military service from autumn 2014 to autumn 2015. The first half-year he served in the city of Yeisk (Center for Combat Training and Retraining of the Naval Air Force and Air Defense), then he was transferred to the Far East, to the naval aviation unit of the Pacific Fleet. This fact is supported by a series of photographs, some\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/lPveh\">geotagged <\/a>\u00a0to Artem airfield (Tsentralnaya Uglovaya air base near Vladivostok).\r\n\r\nAfter his discharge from the navy and a six-month pause, he signed a 3-year contract for service with the 291st Artillery Brigade stationed in Ingushetia (presumably in an anti-tank battery of MT-12 anti-tank guns), as evidenced by a series of photographs, including some\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/Cdmk1\">geotagged<\/a>\u00a0to Troitskaya village. Since June 2017, he has been spotted on the territory of the occupied Donbas as an artillery instructor in the DPR IAGs.\r\n\r\nAccounts on social networks:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id364590082\">VK1<\/a>\u00a0(archived\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/1AhxI\">profile<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/izANa\">photos<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/d6dF2\">contacts<\/a>) active, <a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id214445627\">VK2\u00a0<\/a>(archived\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/LCWdf\">profile<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/4TIU1\">photos<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/mVHba\">contacts<\/a>) inactive since 2016, <a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id167871809\">VK3<\/a>\u00a0inactive since 2013, <a href=\"https:\/\/ok.ru\/profile\/528459089438?st._aid=FriendFriend_Visit\">\u041eK<\/a>\u00a0(archived\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/PamEd\">profile<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/aQXUP\">photos<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/uYgcm\">contacts<\/a>).\r\n\r\n<img class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Eisk-300x242.jpg\" width=\"208\" height=\"169\" \/><img class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Artem-300x232.jpg\" width=\"221\" height=\"173\" \/>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/troickay-1-300x237.jpg\" width=\"211\" height=\"168\" \/><img class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/troickay-2-300x235.jpg\" width=\"212\" height=\"168\" \/>\r\n\r\nOne of the main proofs of Alekseenko's Ukrainian deployment is the <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/dlJk6\">\u00a0group photo<\/a>\u00a0of the \"riverside quartet\" posted on June 11, 2017. Read below the analysis of the rest of the identified servicemen.\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/0-1.jpg\" \/>\r\n\r\nHis album contains a number of other photos from the period of June 4-13, 2017, among which\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>there is a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/c8FXI\">selfie<\/a> with a view of Zuevska Thermal Power Plant in Zuhres, Donetsk Oblast;<\/li>\r\n \t<li>a <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/hB24Q\">selfie<\/a> with a 100-mm Rapira anti-tank gun (MT-12, 2A29);<\/li>\r\n \t<li>a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/L9Xtj\">selfie<\/a> with ammunition boxes.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nIn all these photos, Alekseenko poses in a non-statutory gorka uniform often worn by the personnel of the Russian hybrid forces in Donbas. We could roughly\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.ge\/maps\/place\/47%C2%B056&amp;apos;57.7&amp;quot;N+38%C2%B015&amp;apos;34.5&amp;quot;E\/@47.94941,38.2574132,533m\/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d47.9493724!4d38.2595793\">locate<\/a>\u00a0the photo shoot to a training range near the Krynka river between the villages of Shyroke and Pokrovka in the Donetsk Oblast.\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/don-2-1.jpg\" \/>\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/don-1-1.jpg\" \/>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/don-5-300x236.jpg\" width=\"204\" height=\"162\" \/><img class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/don-6-300x234.jpg\" width=\"199\" height=\"157\" \/>\r\n\r\n<strong>In addition to Alekseenko, we managed to identify the remaining members of the \"riverside quartet\".<\/strong>\r\n<h3><strong>Vladimir Kalgan<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/VK-0-263x300.jpg\" width=\"223\" height=\"252\" \/>Born December 9, 1981 in\u00a0Krasnodar, Russia.\r\n\r\nA mercenary with Novorossia IAGs. The album contains a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/xiZcE\">photo<\/a>\u00a0of the \"quartet\" uploaded on June 10, 2017.\r\n\r\nAccounts on social networks:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id419119340\">VK<\/a>\u00a0(archived <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/fJZhA\">profile<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/fzJ0R\">photos<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/802Sl\">contacts<\/a>).\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3><strong>Alexander Knyazev<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/AK-0.jpg\" width=\"223\" height=\"262\" \/>Originally from Donetsk, Ukraine.\r\n\r\nA mercenary with Novorossia IAGs. The album contains a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/GDKUy\">photo<\/a>\u00a0of the \"quartet\" uploaded on June 10, 2017.\r\n\r\nAccounts on social networks:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id175731496\">VK<\/a>\u00a0(archived <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/kBnSm\">profile<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/nRQH4\">photos<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/9HNql\">contacts<\/a>).\r\n<h3><\/h3>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3><strong>Vladimir Grek<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/vg-o.jpg\" width=\"236\" height=\"281\" \/>Born on August 20, 1989, presumably in Slavyansk-on-Kuban, Russia.\r\n\r\nA mercenary with Novorossia IAGs. The album contains a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/iplwr\">photo<\/a>\u00a0of the \"quartet\" uploaded on June 10, 2017.\r\n\r\nAccounts on social networks:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id275590306\">VK<\/a>\u00a0(archived <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/T9aFe\">profile<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/xDPhX\">photos<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/0o8Jo\">contacts<\/a>).\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/19113165_616531301850671_630191198_n-1.jpg\" \/>\r\n\r\n<strong>Another photo from the same location is also noteworthy: Alekseenko is posing with another trio on it, whom we also managed to identify.<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/2017_06_13.jpg\" \/>\r\n<h3><strong>Vladislav Gizbrecht<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/VG-0.jpg\" width=\"222\" height=\"242\" \/>Born March 4, 1993 in Donetsk, Ukraine.\r\n\r\nA mercenary with Novorossia IAGs. The album has a series of interesting photos, including joint images with the objects of this investigation, including the Russian contract serviceman Alekseenko and the MT-12 gun mentioned above.\r\n\r\nAccounts on social networks:<a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id345603954\">\u00a0VK1<\/a>\u00a0(archived <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/zZVNG\">profile<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/MOA0m\">photos<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/B5fO4\">contacts<\/a>) active,<a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id224464917\"> VK2<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id184873754\">VK3 <\/a>inactive profiles.\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/VG-3-1024x491.jpg\" \/>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/VG-1-300x154.jpg\" width=\"289\" height=\"154\" \/><img class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/VG-2-300x230.jpg\" width=\"193\" height=\"150\" \/>\r\n<h3><strong>Aleksey Uvarov<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/AU-0.jpg\" width=\"223\" height=\"249\" \/>Born March 2, 1988 in St. Petersburg, Russia.\r\n\r\nA mercenary with Novorossia IAGs. The album has a series of interesting photos, including joint images with the objects of this investigation, including the Russian contract serviceman Alekseenko and the MT-12 gun mentioned above.\r\n\r\nAccounts on social networks:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id179161218\">VK1<\/a>\u00a0(archived\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/QCY2A\">profile<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/GWiRZ\">photos<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/8EXiJ\">contacts<\/a>),\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id30161752\">VK2<\/a> inactive profile.\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/AU-1.jpg\" \/>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/AU-2-300x235.jpg\" width=\"216\" height=\"171\" \/><img class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/AU-3-300x191.jpg\" width=\"266\" height=\"174\" \/>\r\n<h3><strong>Nikolay Nikolaevich<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<em>(surname not available)<\/em>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/NN-0.jpg\" width=\"224\" height=\"266\" \/>Born May 13, 1984. Supposedly from St. Petersburg (or from Tyumen). Judging by the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/6k9YI\">underworld-style tattoos<\/a>, recently released from jail.\r\n\r\nA mercenary with Novorossia IAGs. He is cautious with posting Novorossia photos, however in his album he has a series of pictures from Donetsk. He was identified in the albums of other investigation objects, including in joint pictures with others connected to this investigation, including the Russian contract soldier Alekseenko and the MT-12 gun mentioned above.\r\n\r\nAccounts on social networks:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/vk.com\/id302889672\">VK<\/a>\u00a0(archived <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/8QCuH\">profile<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/AzgVr\">photos<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/rVfLx\">contacts<\/a>).\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/nn.jpg\" \/>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/NN--300x169.jpg\" width=\"246\" height=\"143\" \/><img class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/NN-1-1-300x212.jpg\" width=\"200\" height=\"145\" \/>\r\n<blockquote>\r\n<h3><strong><em>Hybrid service in the Russian Army<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<em>The latest investigation proves again our point that a part of Russian contract servicemen are doing hybrid service.. Remaining on the Russian Army rosters, they are assigned to so-called \"Novorossia militia\" as instructors, artillerymen, snipers or military specialists, responsible for communication and coordination with main forces, deployed on the ongoing alert mission across the Russian border.<\/em>\r\n\r\n<em>InformNapalm has already presented dozens of similar facts about several Russian military units: <\/em><em>\r\n<\/em><em>from Southern Military District - <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/novorossiya-militant-s-contract-was-finalized-in-military-recruiting-office-of-volgograd-russia\/\"><em>291st Artillery Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 64670, Troitskaya, Republic of Ingushetia),\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/russian-scout-7th-military-base-given-away-bull-terrier-horlivka\/\"><em>7th Military Base<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 09332, occupied Abkhazia, Georgia), <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/the-russian-8th-brigade-s-servicemen-return-from-donbas-as-cargo-200-or-disabled\/\"><em>8th Mountain Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 16544, Borzoi, Republic of Chechnya),\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/f-cked-brigade-former-contract-soldier-17th-mrb-russian-army-video\/\"><em>17th Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 65384, Shali, Chechnya),\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/3-trips-from-18th-brigade\/\"><em>18th Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 27777, Kalinovskaya village, Chechnya),\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/tracking-down-a-scout-from-the-136th-brigade\/\"><em>136th Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 63354, Buynaksk, Dagestan),<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/russian-contract-servicemen-of-the-205th-smrb-in-ukraine\/\"><em>205th Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 74814, Budyonnovsk, Stavropol Krai),\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/36523-donbas-snaiper-vs-rf-opolchenie-novorosii\/\"><em>19th Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 20634, Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia), <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/russian-33th-brigade-in-donetsk\/\"><em>33rd Mountain Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 22179, Maykop, Adygea),\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/jan13-donbas-34th\/\"><em>34th Mountain Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 01485, Storozhevaya, Karachay-Cherkess Republic); <\/em><em>\r\n<\/em><em>from Central Military District \u2014\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/the-23rd-brigade-s-armed-vehicles-and-personnel-as-part-of-novorossiya-s-armed-formations\/\"><em>23rd Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 65349, Samara),\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/uses-15th-motorized-rifle-brigade\/\"><em>15th Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0of peacekeeping forces (military unit 90600, Roshchinsky training range, Volzhsky District, Samara Oblast),<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/feb11-donbas-antiair\/\"><em>21st Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 12128, Totskoye, Orenburg Oblast),<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/recon-contract-soldier-from-russia-s-28th-motorized-rifle-brigade-fights-in-pyatnashka-in-the-donbas\/\"><em>28th Motorized Rifle Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 61423, Yekaterinburg),<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/paratroopers-of-the-31st-brigade-from-ulyanovsk-as-patriot-militants-in-donbas\/\"><em>31st Air Assault Brigade<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0(military unit 73612, Ulyanovsk). Some units of the <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/investigation-revealed-soldiers-russian-national-guard\/\"><em>Russian Guard<\/em><\/a> <em>and other Russian <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/mar04-youtube-open-letter\/\"><em>law enforcement agencies<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0have been involved in manning the IAGs too.<\/em><\/blockquote>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong><em>Background information<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<em>The 291st Artillery Brigade<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>\r\n\r\n<em><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/takt-146x300.jpg\" \/>Military unit 64670, permanent station in Ingushetia, Troitskaya village. In the first half of 2011, the brigade was redeployed from Maykop (Adygea) to Ingushetia.<\/em>\r\n\r\n<em>The unit is part of the 58th Field Army of the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces. Presumed strength: 6 artillery battalions: a self-propelled gun battalion, a self-propelled mortar battalion, a howitzer battalion, a rocket artillery battalion, an anti-tank battalion, a reconnaissance battalion, as well as a control battery, a logistics company, a maintenance company, 2 separate platoons (an engineer platoon and a NBC platoon). Equipment in service: 18 pcs of Msta-B howitzers, 8 pcs of Uragan MLRS, 6 pcs of Rapira guns, 18 pcs of Khrizantema-S self-propelled ATGW system, as well as 2 AZK 7 automatic acoustic detecting systems. As of 2016 the brigade\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/tyulpan-mortars-russian-291st-artillery-brigade-shelled-ukraine\/\"><em>received for operation<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0powerful artillery systems - 12 pcs 2S7M Malka self-propelled guns and 3 pcs 2S4 Tyulpan heavy 240-mm self-propelled mortars. Total personnel strength - about 600 persons.<\/em>\r\n\r\nPersonnel of the 291st Artillery Brigade has been repeatedly spotted on Ukrainian and Syrian deployments, - this unit appears in 14 OSINT investigations of InformNapalm:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/armed-forces-russian-federation-spotted-along-ukrainian-border-donbas\/\">Armed Forces of Russian Federation Spotted along the Ukrainian Border and in Donbas<\/a>,\u00a02014-08-24<\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identification-units-russian-armed-forces-deployed-fight-eastern-ukraine\/\">Units of the Russian Armed Forces Which Have Been Deployed to Fight in Eastern Ukraine<\/a>,\u00a02014-09-19<\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/identification-military-units-armament-artillery-elements-russian-invasion-forces\/\">Identification of Military Units and the Armament of Artillery Elements of the Russian Invasion Forces<\/a>,\u00a02014-09-30<\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/291st-artillery-brigades-tour-duty-crimea-donbass\/\">291st artillery brigade\u2019s \u201cTour of duty\u201d from Crimea to Donbass<\/a>,2014-11-12<\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/7707-rossyya-foto-pozytsyj-artylleryy-vs-rf-obstrelyvavshej-terrytoryyu-ukrayny-v-2014-godu\"> Photos of artillery positions of the Russian Army shelling the territory of Ukraine in 2014<\/a>2015-04-05<\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/novorossiya-militant-s-contract-was-finalized-in-military-recruiting-office-of-volgograd-russia\/\">\u2018Novorossiya\u2019 Militant\u2019s Contract Was Finalized in Military Recruiting Office of Volgograd, Russia<\/a>,\u00a02015-10-07<\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/russia-began-a-concealed-ground-operation-in-syria\/\">Russia Began a Concealed Ground Operation in Syria<\/a>, 2015-10-29<\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/dec06-artillery-syria\/\">East Is a Delicate Matter: 29 Servicemen from 291st Artillery Brigade in Syria<\/a>,\u00a02015-12-07<\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/dec18-291-crimes-part1\/\">War Crimes of Russian 291st Brigade in War Against Ukraine. Part 1<\/a>,\u00a02015-12-18<\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/dec21-291-crimes-part2\/\">War Crimes of Russian 291st Brigade in War Against Ukraine. Part 2<\/a>,\u00a012\/21\/2015<\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/syrian-dividends-291st-artillery-brigade\/\">Syrian Dividends of Russian Army 291st Artillery Brigade Soldiers<\/a>, 2016-03-27<\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/jun09-291-brigade-donbas\/\">291st Artillery Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces is Back on the Donbas Radar for a Record 12th Time<\/a>,\u00a02016-06-09<\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/tyulpan-mortars-russian-291st-artillery-brigade-shelled-ukraine\/\">Tyulpan mortars for the Russian 291st Artillery Brigade which shelled Ukraine<\/a>, 2017-04-13<\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/35779-81-artillerist-291j-brigady\/\">81 artillerymen of the 291st Brigade carrying out Kremlin's criminal orders in Ukraine (Infographics)<\/a>, 2017-06-09<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nDatabases of identified active Russian military personnel and evidence of their involvement in the fighting in Ukraine as part of the Russian hybrid forces are available here:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/category\/top-investigations\/\">https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/category\/top-investigations\/<\/a>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/08\/InformNapalm_logo_05.png\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-8997\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/08\/InformNapalm_logo_05.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"134\" height=\"59\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><em>This publication was prepared by <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/irakli.komaxidze\"><strong><em>Irakli Komaxidze<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><em>on the basis of his own OSINT investigation specially for\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/\"><em>InformNapalm<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><em>Translated by Andrii Gryganski, edited by Artem Velichko\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><em>Infographics\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=100004814202997\"><strong><em>Alex Alexidze<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><em>Locations identification\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=100010235495201\"><em>Mikhail Kuznetsov<\/em><\/a><em> and\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/krmvictory\"><em>Victory Krm<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><em>\r\n<\/em><em>(<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\"><em>Creative Commons \u2014 Attribution 4.0 International \u2014 CC BY 4.0<\/em><\/a><em>)<\/em><em>\r\n<\/em><strong><em>Repost and\u00a0share with friends.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><em>\r\n<\/em><em>For notifications about InformNapalm investigations follow us on\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/informnapalm24\/\">Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/InformNapalm\">Twitter<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/informnapalm\">Telegram<\/a>.<\/p>","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/106"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11322"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11322\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11337,"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11322\/revisions\/11337"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}