The "switchblade" of the Ukrainian army, cruise missile , is mainly operated by foreign mercenaries . (Photo provided by the author/photo)
On June 17, 2022, Russian media released the scenes of two American mercenaries captured in Ukraine. According to NBC, on the 20th local time, Russian President's Press Secretary Peskov said in an interview that two captured people participated in illegal activities in Ukraine and opened fire on the Russian army, and would face court rulings and punishments. He also stressed that the two are unlikely to be protected by the " Geneva Convention " because they do not belong to the regular Ukrainian army. When asked whether the two people would face the death penalty for , Peskov responded that it depends on the results of the investigation.
This is not the first time that a "foreign soldier" in Ukraine faces trial.
htmlOn June 10, news came from the political entity "Donetsk People's Republic" recognized by Russia that three foreign mercenaries fighting for the Ukrainian government were sentenced to death. Compared with the previous May 3 when the Russian procuratorate filed a criminal lawsuit against 75 anti-Russian foreign mercenaries, this precedent means that more detained foreign military personnel will face the same fate in the future. Russian Ministry of Defense spokesman Igel Konashenkov once warned that these people would not be regarded as prisoners of war, "besides death, their best outcome is long-term imprisonment."The governments of the United States, Britain, France, Canada, and other countries with the largest number of "foreign soldiers" in Ukraine have denied providing them with any official support. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called them "foreign volunteers" (FVs) at their last press conference in April and should be "deemed as Ukrainian soldiers, treated as prisoners of war in accordance with humanitarian laws, and obtained full protection."
The US magazine "Covert Action" reported on May 4, 2022 that Jane Psaki ignored a US legal detail and prohibited citizens from joining the Russian army, but allowed them to join the Ukrainian army. In particular, most American and European " volunteer soldiers " pay the salary of the "Deep Nation".
On May 4, 2022, US "Military" website reporter Steve Benon pointed out that "foreign volunteer soldiers" in Ukraine can basically be recognized as mercenaries. "In places where regular troops cannot enter, they must rely on them to realize the strategic intentions of Washington and Brussels ( NATO headquarters)".
At the same time, the Ukrainian military, which has suffered severe blood loss in the past few months, has been more open to welcome foreigners to join their "International Legion of Territorial Defense" (ILTD). The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs listed "strategy" for voluntarily going to Ukraine to participate in the war on its Instagram account.
However, Ukrainian officials recommend (but not required) that volunteers bring their own body armor , gloves, load-bearing vests, helmets and other equipment. If they can't get it, they can also bring their old military uniforms. But US Military Times reporter Howard Altman reminds American volunteers not to wear their own military uniforms into the Ukrainian war zone, "this may put their lives in greater danger and increase the risk of conflicts between major powers, putting other Americans fighting for Ukraine at risk."
"Cheap Cannon Fodder"
On February 24, 2022, when hearing the Russian army attacking Ukraine, Matthew Parker, a veteran who had served in the Ukrainian Army for for 22 and had four children, remembered Andre, a Ukrainian soldier who fought side by side in Iraqi in 2006. "I am from South Carolina, Andre is from Odessa, Ukrainian. We trained Iraqi recruits together in Tikrit . I taught them how to operate American radio stations, and Andre taught them individual tactics and how to use AK-47 rifles."
Andre later immigrated to the United States. Parker told the Quartz website, "On March 7, Andre and I were the same as 12 people, all of whom went to the Ukrainian frontline. Andre became the best guide. The former division of labor in Iraq was repeated in Ukraine. We taught Ukrainian youth basic combat skills. To a certain extent, this continued our combat friendship."
The so-called mercenaries are "troops" composed of recruiting personnel with money, regardless of nationality or ethnicity.Today's mercenaries have the value inheritance of "recognizing money but not people", and are also supported by modern organizations, financial blood transfusions and political manipulation. This is why a large number of foreign soldiers who do not take the military pay of the host country but are willing to serve in Ukraine. They are more willing to call themselves " private military company ", "military contractor" and "security consulting company"...
Peter Singer, an expert from the Brookings Institution who wrote the book "Samurai Company", pointed out, "They are attached to Western political and financial groups, and sell war-related services in the surface in a business model, It includes tactical military operations, strategic plans, intelligence support, military operation support, personnel training and military technical assistance, but essentially performs the geopolitical task. This transformation also allows the West to circumvent the international law constraints through changing forms. "
The Ukrainian Embassy in the United States revealed that as of the end of April, 3,000 Americans have entered Ukraine to participate in the war, and the rest are mostly from EU , Canada and former Soviet countries (especially Georgia ). Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky released a video on Telegram channel on February 27, paying tribute to the "International Legion" with 16,000 foreign soldiers.
However, behind the passionate story is the cold geopolitics and business logic.
On May 4, 2022, the American magazine "Secret Operations" published an article by reporter Philip F. Nelson, mentioning that Willie Joseph Consell became the first American to be confirmed to be killed in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict on April 25. This former Marine, born in Orange County, New York, led the Ukrainian army to patrol at night and was killed by the ambushed Russian army. His mother, Rebecca Cabrera, said that her son served in the US military from 2017 to 2020 and entered Ukraine by Polish in mid-March 2022. What made her feel disappointed was that US Marine Corps immediately separated her relationship with Consell and claimed that he was fired for a "criminal act."
Nelson's investigation found that in order to make money for the family, in January 2022, Consell quit his job as a guard of private prison and joined a private military company (PMCh). The company undertakes a large amount of Pentagon business as early as the Afghan War period, "it can offer a reward of more than $500 a day", but employees do not have the right to choose a task location.
William Tosh Plumley told Secret Operation: "Most of the people who flood Ukraine are not 'noble volunteer soldiers', but mercenaries who are purely money-making." In the past eight years, the Ukrainian army has not only received professional training from PMC, but also a large number of American fighters with "dirty backgrounds" joined. "White supremacists who are difficult to establish a foothold in the country have become the 'baby' in the Ukrainian barracks, with a considerable salary (most of which do not require Kiev payment). Craig Lange, a veteran of the Ukrainian army who was wanted for shooting a Florida couple in 2018, is still active on the Ukrainian frontline. They are praised by the West as 'freedom fighters', and their value is 'letting Russia'." Plumli said that the widespread existence of mercenaries in Ukraine is supported by the US Special Forces Command, CIA and other institutions.
To prove this, Plumley has made several emails written on February 3, 2022. The email content shows that a friend who is still working in the Pentagon contacted him in hopes of finding more "cheap cannon fodder". The friend also issued a "magic" prophecy: "The military and intelligence departments have managed to increase the "Military S.O.F." (English abbreviation for mercenaries) serving Ukraine. As I know, it is only a matter of time before American citizens die in the (Ukrainian) conflict."
Another American investigative reporter, Gene Wheaton, learned on May 4 that at least at least the Ukrainian military camp, currently has more than 100 former American soldiers responsible for their responsibilities, and the PMC they serve is operated by US government contracts. “These ‘white gloves’ extend the Pentagon’s tentacles into conflicts in which the U.S. military is not convenient to be authorized to participate. Through the combination of private operations and public funding, the boots of the U.S. soldiers 'ingenious' trampled on Russian ."
However, US official spokesman Psaki denied any connection with mercenaries to Ukraine. "The government only learned about the death of American citizens from news reports, and the government has warned them not to go to Ukraine." She pointed out that the United States and its allies will do their best to provide military aid, but will not send troops to Ukraine.
US Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby also specifically mentioned that the military has no connection with PMCs with Ukrainian operations, "as far as I know,"
"Blue Collar" and "White Collar"
In March 2022, Russian "Side" weekly analyzed the nature of the mission of foreign fighters in Ukraine, which roughly includes non-important military target guards, military transport protectors, personnel training and technical reconnaissance. In terms of the degree of shortage, the Ukrainian government is more concerned about how many Western weapons are obtained, but how to obtain useful professional military talents.
American reporter Wheaton found that among the foreign fighters who arrived in Ukraine in the past two months More than half of them are supplemented with the Territorial Defense Force (TDF), which is the militia organization approved by the Ukrainian Supreme Lada (Parliament) in 2015, with a total post of 130,000.
The Ukrainian Future Research Institute issued a poll in January 2022, 56% of respondents said that they would definitely "may" or "may" join the defense team, but more than 40% said that issues such as living poverty, the new crown epidemic and bureaucratic corruption have consumed their fighting spirit, and believed that the conflict with Russia was not " It is a war of its own, but a "war of the Kiev government."
American veteran Parker described that the Russian army had limited troops and it was difficult to actually capture small Ukrainian towns and villages. As a result, the supply line was repeatedly attacked by Ukrainian defense teams, and 40% of the troops were probably restrained by convoys escorted by convoys, which is an important reason for the stalemate.
"We do not have fashionable light javelin missiles, which blocked the Russian army's tanks mainly rely on the ancient X-shaped horse-repellent and wooden pile-wire. We teach the Ukrainians how to use the dense forests in the suburbs to cut down the trees and hang the barbed wire on the stumps and trunks. Even if the tanks can break through, the Russian infantry accompanied by the impact must get out of the car to clear the road, so that it will be exposed to our firepower. "
Parker complained that in the defensive team that mixed foreigners with most Ukrainians, Ukrainian officers who hold real power have a stiff command. They often use foreigners as cannon fodder and perform the most dangerous tasks, but do not provide corresponding material guarantees, even friendly comfort, which makes it difficult to resolve the coordination and mutual trust between the two sides.
Compared with "blue-collar" in the military like Parker, more advanced "white-collar" mercenaries fight through software.
Russian "Side" Weekly 2022 4 According to reports, in a small Polish town just over fifty kilometers away from the Ukrainian border, Whidena, wearing a T-shirt, stared at the computer with six screens, which showed the changes in the battle situation in Ukraine and the direction of the Black Sea in near real time. The middle-aged man in his forties is a "business consultant" of American Airlines and Environment, but according to official Russian materials, the company has provided mercenaries to the Ukrainian government forces for many years.
"This is an important reason why many senior Russian officers were killed and the 'Moscow' cruiser was sunk. "Juan Belikov, director of the Center for Central and Eastern Europe Research in Buenos Aires, Argentina, said, "This geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) sharing is much lower-key than the US and European military weapons aid to Ukraine, but it is of great benefit to boost the combat efficiency of the Ukrainian army. ”
American Journal of Secret Operations (Covert Action) reported on May 4, 2022 that in fact, the U.S. government allowed several PMCs to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) services to Ukraine. Even the CIA's newly used "Aviation Reconnaissance Tactical Edge Surveying and Mapping Imaging System" (ARTEMIS) was opened to them. This small unmanned system facilitates the provision of images after satellites pass through the Ukrainian war zone, ensuring "full-chain surveillance" of the Russian army. This is crucial for Ukraine to resist a powerful army like Russia.
NBC also mentioned that President Zelensky's security work also had PMC consultants to tell him how to avoid being tracked and located by communications.
Intelligence provided by the Ukrainian "high IQ" mercenaries helped the Ukrainian "Dound-U" missile hit important Russian targets.(Photo provided by the author/photo)
"No. 1 player"
Akhadmi and Greystone are PMC tycoons in the "market" of Ukraine.
is the largest mercenary enterprise in the United States. Its predecessor was Blackwater Company founded by Eric Dean Prince and Al Clark in 1997. It first provided training services to the US Marine Corps. From 2002 to 2009, it sent thousands of employees to support the US military's battle in Afghanistan and Iraq. It was prosecuted for suspected indiscriminate killing 17 civilians in Iraq in 2007. It was forced to split and sell it in 2010. However, its main assets were bought by investors and reorganized into Akkadmi Company. It claims to be "the most comprehensive security company in business fields composed of professional soldiers". It specializes in risk control, mission support, military training, etc., and its customers target governments, enterprises and non-profit organizations.
, and the Blackwater subsidiary, which focuses on overseas security business, is independent of the Graystone Company. It can always "share" the US official business targeting specific hot spots with Akkadmi. In particular, Gystone has dispatched more than 2,300 "combat-level security guards" to many places around the world, with another 20,000 employees on standby at any time, and 20 aircraft are on standby, which just happens to become Akkadmi's "right-hand man" who is good at strategic consulting and technical assistance.
Spanish newspaper "Story" reported in July 2020 that over the past five years, American instructors wearing standard olive military uniforms and carrying "Pirate-M3" tactical vests have gone to major Ukrainian colleges and frontier positions. They have participated in commanding the Ukrainian National Guard "Omega" special forces to prevent the militia from seizing Mariupol . They also operated the AN/TPQ-49 artillery positioning radar of Ukrainian aid online on both sides to reduce the casualties of Ukrainian artillery attacks.
American journalist Wheaton quoted a PMC employee as saying: "We can get a company of qualified special forces personnel to the Russian border within 24 hours. The army cannot do it, but the contractor can." Taking Akaddmi as an example, 90% of the income comes from the U.S. government outsourcing contracts. The retired military personnel who worked for it receives 2 to 3 times the remuneration of when they served in the military in the past, which does not count as retirement allowances, share purchase options and company allowances such as 401 (K) schemes.
"Illegalized" Criminal Law
Article 447 of the Ukrainian Criminal Law stipulates that once mercenaries and their recruiters who fight in hot spots are found, they will face 10 years in prison, but from a realistic perspective, no one takes Article 447 seriously.
Russian Aerospace Journal stated in May 2020 that according to the provisions of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War and Additional Protocols, prisoners of war refer to legal war personnel captured by the other party in war or armed conflict. People who do not belong to the nationals of the conflict, do not belong to the armed forces of all parties to the conflict, and participate in hostilities mainly for the desire to obtain personal gain, are defined as "mercenaries" and "do not enjoy the right to become combatants or prisoners", which means that the Russian army has the right to "take cruel measures" against them.
Claire Finkelstein, head of the Center for Morality and Law (CERL), admitted that both mercenaries and volunteer soldiers are civilians who directly participate in hostilities, making them legal targets of attack by the enemy. If captured by the enemy, according to the Geneva Convention, "they are unlikely to be regarded as prisoners of war in the pure sense." She added: "Given the United States' own abuse of such people in wars such as Afghanistan and Iraq, the United States is not convinced when calling on Russia to ‘humanely’ citizens arrested in hostilities.’"
Finkelstein said that if Ukraine brings foreigners into the regular army sequence—putting on uniforms and subjecting to command—they will be given the greatest protection under the law. However, this desire has been broken by the Ukrainian government's format document, because the electronic registration on the government's official website shows that foreigners are required to promise that they are "voluntarily" to join the war and must provide themselves "uniforms and personal protection (equipment).
Ukrainian President Advisor Mikhailo Podoliak said on April 15 that the Ukrainian government paid its soldiers a monthly salary of 100,000 hryvn (about 3,300 US dollars). "Volunteers will not have military pay, so they will not be identified as 'mercenaries'."
Finkelstein proposed a compromise plan: "If the Ukrainian government is wise enough, it should provide dual nationality to foreigners who volunteer to join the army, which will maximize their protection. "She also said that from a legal perspective, there is no problem for Americans to participate in another country's war. "We cannot expect that their own government will come forward to protect it. For example, many Americans joined the IDF since 1948, and hundreds of casualties and even were captured by Egyptian and Syria , but Washington didn't care about it. "
Ukrainian army has been reorganized and trained by American consultants. (Photo provided by the author/photo)
"outsourced" war
American "Secret Operations" reporter Constantine Toropin believes that the "human rights" of mercenaries in the future are destined to be sacrificed, because "outsourced war" is very consistent with the taste of Western governments and is a "low-cost way" to intervene in global hot spots.
data shows that during the Gulf War in 1991, in the 100 multinational troops led by the United States, only one of the mercenaries recruited by the PMC. And the Afghan War and the Iraq War in the 21st century h In tml3, more than 20% of the soldiers participating in the war are mercenaries.
Former US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates once told Toroping that the use of civilian personnel (the "euphemistic term" of mercenaries) in the US military, like outsourcing low-end jobs by large and medium-sized companies, is a measure to reduce long-term employee costs and increase the flexibility of human resources structure.
Gates avoided the real reason for the prosperous mercenary business - the conflict that the United States is inconvenient to intervene, and mercenaries are the best "consumables".
"In the United States, soldiers are not smooth to integrate into normal economic life after retirement, and they are willing to be employed by war companies that want to use their rich military experience. "Toropin said, "The United States hopes that non-governmental military institutions will do something shameful and arrange for the PMC to come forward, so that it can help another wartime country without violating the law, attack and consume strategic competitors. "
"'Buyers give money, sellers start fighting' has exacerbated the spread of the 'Faith War' and 'Borderless War'. Imagine that as long as one country recognizes it, any mercenary can go to other countries to make trouble, which will undoubtedly make it difficult for international order to maintain. "
United Nations Human Rights Commission pointed out in a report titled "Using mercenaries to violate human rights" that the mercenary industry, which has been upgraded by the PMC business model, has become an important hidden danger of international security.
Special written by Southern Weekend Wu Pei
