A Russian soldier on his armoured vehicle watches Syrian rebels during evacuation from Deraa city, on July 15, 2018. AFP
A Russian soldier on his armoured vehicle watches Syrian rebels during evacuation from Deraa city, on July 15, 2018. AFP

Russia’s covert mercenaries in Syria want Kremlin recognition



After years of distancing itself from a group of military contractors doing its bidding in Syria, the Kremlin is facing renewed pressure to recognise the covert forces’ existence. But unlike previous demands to acknowledge the mercenaries, this time it is Russia’s own military establishment urging authorities to come clean.

Earlier this month, a group of Russian military leaders released a joint statement addressed to President Vladimir Putin and the country’s supreme court arguing that the mercenaries should be recognised by the government so they have access to proper medical and financial support after they return from the battlefield.

"For three years already, we have been receiving complaints and appeals from Russian citizens who were injured in Syria and cannot undergo medical treatment in Russia," read the statement, which was signed by retired Colonel-General Leonid Ivashov, retired Colonel Vladimir Petrov and Yevgeni Shabayev, a Cossack leader.

"Soldiers and officers of these combat units have no social, medical or financial support from the state ... We demand that the status of combat participants in private military companies be recognised."

Vladimir Putin entered the Syrian war in September 2015 in an effort to buttress the struggling forces of Syrian president Bashar Al Assad. The Kremlin’s intervention and its ongoing campaign of airstrikes are credited with turning the tide of the conflict in favour of the besieged Syrian president.

After two costly military interventions in Chechnya and Afghanistan, however, the Russia public is sensitive to wars in which thousands of Russian military personnel return home in metal caskets. In an effort to minimise its footprint in Syria, the Kremlin has leaned on mercenaries, which are illegal under Russian law, and a small detachment of special forces, mainly from the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya.

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The mercenary Wagner Group, named after the nom de guerre of its founder Dmitry Utkin, is believed to have been active in Syria since 2013. Its reported funder, a Kremlin-linked business man named Yevgeny Prigozhin was added to a US treasury sanctions list for his business dealings with Russia’s Defense Ministry.

Despite the Kremlin’s best efforts to keep the group’s operations under wraps, however, the fighters have found themselves in the war’s spotlight.

In February this year, a botched mission to capture an oil field in northern Syria under control of US-allied forces drew attention to the fighters, their role in the conflict and their links to the Kremlin.

Around 300 mercenaries fighting alongside pro-Assad forces are estimated to have been wounded or killed near Deir Ezzor after US airstrikes pounded the advancing forces for upwards of three hours.

The embarrassing incident shows why the Russian government may be reticent to give the private military groups legal status says Alexey Khlebnikov, a Middle East analyst at the Russian International Affairs Council, which is close to the Foreign Ministry.

"For one, the Defense Ministry does not want to lose the monopoly on Russia's use of military force," Khlebnikov told The National. "The case of mercenaries being bombed in Syria raised concerns about the level of their professionalism and ability to cooperate with the ministry."

The failed operation, and this lack of cooperation more specifically, also highlights how the aims of private mercenary groups have diverged from the Russian government’s objectives since the beginning of its intervention in Syria — yet another reason why recognising or legalising mercenaries could prove problematic for Moscow.

In December, the Associated Press reported that the Syrian state oil company had offered the mercenary groups 25 per cent of profits from oil fields they liberated from ISIS. However, this contract is precisely the kind of mission that could undermine the contractors’ chances of receiving state help on returning to Russia, says Mr Khlebnikov.

“In Syria, [the Russian] Defense Ministry finds it problematic when private mercenary companies act in their own or Syrian state interests without consulting with them,” he said. “It puts the ministry’s own calculations and plans in the country at risk.”

Much like the number of formal Russian servicemen in Syria, how many Russian mercenaries have participated in the seven-year conflict is unclear. A Reuters investigation this year citing paramilitary leaders in Russia estimated the numbers between 2,000 and 3,000.

Likewise the numbers of their deaths have been difficult to track. Reuters tallied 40 deaths between January and August in 2017 alone.

Then the public reporting on the hundreds of casualties suffered during the botched oil field raid in February left Moscow scrambling for an explanation, amid Kremlin concerns of a public outcry that could have forced the government’s hand on the issue.

“Definitely the incident in February put Kremlin in the very uncomfortable situation,” says Mr Khlebnikov. “On one hand, people were concerned that the Russians were left without help and assistance in the country. On the other hand, the public is concerned that someone except the army might have a say in the conflicts.”

President Putin made a surprise visit to Russia’s airbase in Syria in December to declare mission complete and announce a drawdown in Russian troops. Despite appearances though it hasn’t signalled the end the Russia’s Syria intervention. In early June, Russian media reported a new group called Patriot is now active in Syria.

The ongoing role of Russian mercenaries in Syria is unlikely to bring about a change in their legal status back home though, analysts predict.

“It’s important to remember that military veterans are those who served in the military and were sent to war,” said Michael Kofman, an expert on Russia at the Center for Naval Analysis. “These are mercenaries to whom the state does not necessarily owe any obligation, and who signed a commercial contract to deploy into a conflict zone.”

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed 

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

Singham Again

Director: Rohit Shetty

Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone

Rating: 3/5

The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20Profile
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How Tesla’s price correction has hit fund managers

Investing in disruptive technology can be a bumpy ride, as investors in Tesla were reminded on Friday, when its stock dropped 7.5 per cent in early trading to $575.

It recovered slightly but still ended the week 15 per cent lower and is down a third from its all-time high of $883 on January 26. The electric car maker’s market cap fell from $834 billion to about $567bn in that time, a drop of an astonishing $267bn, and a blow for those who bought Tesla stock late.

The collapse also hit fund managers that have gone big on Tesla, notably the UK-based Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF.

Tesla is the top holding in both funds, making up a hefty 10 per cent of total assets under management. Both funds have fallen by a quarter in the past month.

Matt Weller, global head of market research at GAIN Capital, recently warned that Tesla founder Elon Musk had “flown a bit too close to the sun”, after getting carried away by investing $1.5bn of the company’s money in Bitcoin.

He also predicted Tesla’s sales could struggle as traditional auto manufacturers ramp up electric car production, destroying its first mover advantage.

AJ Bell’s Russ Mould warns that many investors buy tech stocks when earnings forecasts are rising, almost regardless of valuation. “When it works, it really works. But when it goes wrong, elevated valuations leave little or no downside protection.”

A Tesla correction was probably baked in after last year’s astonishing share price surge, and many investors will see this as an opportunity to load up at a reduced price.

Dramatic swings are to be expected when investing in disruptive technology, as Ms Wood at ARK makes clear.

Every week, she sends subscribers a commentary listing “stocks in our strategies that have appreciated or dropped more than 15 per cent in a day” during the week.

Her latest commentary, issued on Friday, showed seven stocks displaying extreme volatility, led by ExOne, a leader in binder jetting 3D printing technology. It jumped 24 per cent, boosted by news that fellow 3D printing specialist Stratasys had beaten fourth-quarter revenues and earnings expectations, seen as good news for the sector.

By contrast, computational drug and material discovery company Schrödinger fell 27 per cent after quarterly and full-year results showed its core software sales and drug development pipeline slowing.

Despite that setback, Ms Wood remains positive, arguing that its “medicinal chemistry platform offers a powerful and unique view into chemical space”.

In her weekly video view, she remains bullish, stating that: “We are on the right side of change, and disruptive innovation is going to deliver exponential growth trajectories for many of our companies, in fact, most of them.”

Ms Wood remains committed to Tesla as she expects global electric car sales to compound at an average annual rate of 82 per cent for the next five years.

She said these are so “enormous that some people find them unbelievable”, and argues that this scepticism, especially among institutional investors, “festers” and creates a great opportunity for ARK.

Only you can decide whether you are a believer or a festering sceptic. If it’s the former, then buckle up.

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE

Price, base / as tested Dh274,000 (estimate)

Engine 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder

Gearbox  Nine-speed automatic

Power 245hp @ 4,200rpm

Torque 500Nm @ 1,600rpm

Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alaan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Parthi%20Duraisamy%20and%20Karun%20Kurien%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%247%20million%20raised%20in%20total%20%E2%80%94%20%242.5%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20and%20%244.5%20million%20in%20a%20pre-series%20A%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

Sweet%20Tooth
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
European arms

Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons.  Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.

The specs

  Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

Race card

6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) US$100,000 (Dirt) 2,000m

7.05pm: Meydan Classic Listed (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,600m

7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m

8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,600m

8.50pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 2 (TB) $300,000 (T) 2,810m

9.25pm: Curlin Stakes Listed (TB) $175,000 (D) 2,000m

10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m

10.35pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m

The National selections

6.30pm: Shahm, 7.05pm: Well Of Wisdom, 7.40pm: Lucius Tiberius, 8.15pm: Captain Von Trapp, 8.50pm: Secret Advisor, 9.25pm: George Villiers, 10pm: American Graffiti, 10.35pm: On The Warpath

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Left Bank: Art, Passion and Rebirth of Paris 1940-1950

Agnes Poirer, Bloomsbury

Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode

Directors: Raj & DK

Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon

Rating: 4/5

Profile Box

Company/date started: 2015

Founder/CEO: Mohammed Toraif

Based: Manama, Bahrain

Sector: Sales, Technology, Conservation

Size: (employees/revenue) 4/ 5,000 downloads

Stage: 1 ($100,000)

Investors: Two first-round investors including, 500 Startups, Fawaz Al Gosaibi Holding (Saudi Arabia)

Law%2041.9.4%20of%20men%E2%80%99s%20T20I%20playing%20conditions
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Company%20Profile
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MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners