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Russians Kill Two Americans, Part of a Special Operations Force, in Ukraine’s Donbas Region

Today the US State Department has confirmed that two more American Citizens have died in the Donbas region of Ukraine.

A State Department representative reported to news outlets that they could not provide details about those killed or the circumstances of their deaths. However, they said they “are in touch with the families and providing all possible consular assistance.”

When pushed for more information, the spokesperson stated, “Out of respect to the families during this difficult time, we have nothing further to add.” What we do know, however, is that in recent days Russians have been intensifying their attacks in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.

Luke "Skywalker" Lucyszn was one of the Americans Killed in Action. Image Credit Kathy Lucyszyn via ABC News
Luke “Skywalker” Lucyszn was one of the Americans Killed in Action. Image Credit Kathy Lucyszyn via ABC News

SOFREP has learned, through POLITICO, the names of those killed and the situation surrounding their deaths. Killed in the fighting, along with a Canadian and Swedish citizen, were Luke “Skywalker” Lucyszn and Bryan Young. They died on July 18th alongside Emile-Antoine Roy-Sirois of Canada and Edvard Selander Patrignani of Sweden.

Their deaths were confirmed by the men’s commander, Ruslan Miroshnichenko, today, Saturday, July 23rd. According to Miroshnichenko’s Linkedin profile, we know that he is a graduate of NATO’s Civil-Military Cooperation Centre of Excellence and the NATO Senior Staff Officer’s Course.

The combatants were killed when a Russian tank opened fire on them during an extensive firefight on the frontlines in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine. They were part of a special operations force within the Territorial Defense of the Armed forces of Ukraine. Their unit had been based near the town of Siversk, which became a target of the invading Russian force. Tasked with slowing the Russian advance in the region, the men were sent to the village of Hryhorivka, roughly two miles away from Siversk.

According to Miroshnichenko, the men were tasked to take up firing positions and clear out a ravine that Russian forces were utilizing to cross a river. “They did it successfully,” he said. “But at the end of the mission they were ambushed by Russian tanks,” 

Miroshnichenko continued:

“The first shell injured Luke. Three guys, Edward, Emile, and Bryan, they immediately attempted to help Luke, to do first aid, and evacuate him from this spot. Then the second shell killed them all.”

Destruction in Donbas. At least two other American citizens have died during the war in Ukraine since it began in late February. Image Credit: SOPA Images/Light Rocket
Destruction in Donbas. At least two other American citizens have died during the war in Ukraine since it began in late February. Image Credit: SOPA Images/Light Rocket

The foreign fighters were tapped to go to the area to reinforce conventional Ukrainian troops specifically because of their specialized skill sets and experience. Their commander explained why they were there, near Hryhorivka:

“A group of professionals with relevant experience in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was created to carry out the task. Two scouts were checking the territory, they were supported by a machine gun and grenade launcher group in case of a combat encounter and the need to cover the departure of the reconnaissance group, as well as for the purpose of inflicting fire damage on the enemy.”

Heavy shelling continued on the position long after the deaths of the soldiers, and it took hours before hostilities eased up enough to have a team go in and recover the bodies.

This is a developing story, and SOFREP will provide more details as they become available.

Russia’s Trump Card: Is Wagner’s African Playbook Running in Ukraine?

As the war in Ukraine continues, there is increased scrutiny of the Russian government’s global activities. In Africa, the newest development uses Russian mercenaries, most prominently the Wagner group, to achieve Russian interests. Even if the mercenaries are not particularly effective at defeating rebel groups, their appeal to African leaders and ability to implant themselves into the host country’s political system makes them difficult for the international community to counter. 

Using mercenaries offers the Russian state several benefits. Firstly, it allows Moscow’s most controversial activity in Africa to remain deniable, even if Wagner’s connections to the Kremlin are common knowledge and Wagner’s deployments are preceded by a deal with the Russian government. It also allows Russia more access to gold, diamonds, and other precious resources, which are suitable for the economy and a small way to mitigate the impact of Ukraine-related sanctions. Furthermore, because Wagner’s ability to operate depends on its link to the Kremlin and the Russian state’s willingness to overlook the constitutional ban on mercenaries, there is almost no risk that Wagner will operate against Moscow’s interests. Lastly, When Wagner mercenaries die, which is not infrequent, Russia owes the public no explanation.

The largest Wagner Group telegram channel posted this image (left) of their contractors posing with a sledgehammer in Kherson Oblast [Source: Twitter/@GuinieZoo_Intel]
Wagner initially fought for Russian interests in Eastern Ukraine and Syria but quickly secured contracts in Africa supporting then-President Omar Al-Bashir in Sudan and Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar. However, in the Central African Republic and now Mali, they developed their playbook of opportunistically exploiting ill-will towards France and the E.U. to secure lasting contracts and political influence.

The Wagner Playbook in Africa: The Central African Republic and Beyond

Wagner’s appeal to some African leaders is simple. They offer to train the military, act like a praetorian guard, and conduct counterinsurgency operations at a relatively low cost. The deal is incredibly enticing if a state or its people are unsatisfied with its current security assistance. Former French colonies, particularly those with an ongoing conflict and French military presence, are especially susceptible. The Central African Republic, for instance, relied on French, EU, and U.N. missions as their primary security partners from 2014 until 2018. Then, as it became clear that peacekeepers and French forces were unable or unwilling to stem the violence or defeat CAR’s many rebel groups, President Touadera reached out to Russia. Alongside a shipment of weapons, some 170 mercenaries arrived under several names, including Sewa Security Services and COSI.  

https://twitter.com/banko416/status/1544638366049763328

Wagner’s presence jumped dramatically in response to a rebel offensive on the capital. Rebel coalitions overthrew the government multiple times in CAR, making the newest effort, led by a former President, an existential threat to President Touadera and Russian interests. Reinforcing over 2,000 personnel, Wagner halted the rebel advance and launched a counterattack that reconquered massive territory in a few months. 

Wagner also offers a few ways to pay for its services. The traditional way to pay mercenaries costs thousands of dollars per mercenary per month. Some countries, like the Central African Republic, offered Wagner access to resources such as gold and diamonds. 

Engagement with Wagner also comes with a constellation of other companies linked to the same group of Oligarchs, most notably Putin associate Yevgeny Prigozhin. The oligarch’s companies range from security, such as Wagner and Sewa Security Services, to mining and resource extraction, such as M-Invest. Wagner protects resource extraction sites, such as in Sudan, and secures mines to bring Russian mining interests or extort the miners and seize the resources. There are also media and disinformation efforts, such as Prigozhin’s infamous “troll farm.” Wagner produced a trilogy of films about itself, the first of which Touriste was shot in the Central African Republic and screened to the Central African audiences in the capital city, Bangui.  

Once Wagner is in the country, the results on the ground are more mixed than the sales pitch. They can be effective in a conventional fight against lightly amred rebel groups, as demonstrated by their counteroffensive in the Central African Republic, but they struggle to win counterinsurgencies. In Mozambique, Wagner took severe losses against Islamist militants in Cabo Delgado, and their relations with the Mozambican government deteriorated to the point of ending the mission. 

In terms of public relations and international image, employing Wagner undermines goodwill towards African leaders. Wagner is almost always too heavy-handed in its operations, leading to systematic abuses against civilians in pursuit of rebels. Worse still, they encourage the local security forces they accompany to do the same. U.N. reports from the Central African Republic found that Wagner and the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) were responsible for nearly half of all confirmed instances of abuse. 

Wagner and Russia use the international isolation of their host states to increase their influence. The President of the Central African Republic has a Russian national security advisor, mandated teaching Russian in schools, and now seeks to make Russian an official language, along with a raft of changes allowing him to run for a third term. More importantly, CAR appears no closer to peace as fighting continues, and Wagner-led FACA forces create more grievances for people in central and eastern CAR than they solve. Wagner’s ability to personally protect the President means that his fortunes can rise even if his country falls. Russia supported anti-French protests and fund some civil society figures, accompanied by legitimate anger at France for its decades of paternalistic policies in Africa, ensure that there will be some level of support in Capital cities independent of the performance of presidents and juntas as heads of state. 

Wagner in Mali, The Newest Mission

Mali, Wagner’s newest mission in Africa, follows the same playbook as the Central African Republic. Mali’s years-long conflict against rebels and Al-Qaeda and ISIS-affiliated extremist groups led to French intervention, an E.U. training mission and task force, and one of the U.N.’s largest current peacekeeping missions. After a series of coups in 2020 and 2021, the governing junta decided to close the airspace over Mali and expel the French mission. In September 2021, press reports revealed that the committee was negotiating with Russia to send Wagner forces to help fight extremists.

Wagner and Russia played on the Malian government’s dissatisfaction with France’s inability to restore order and the post-coup junta’s poor relationship with the international community to push anti-French propaganda and promise results in exchange for monthly payments and access to resources in the Southwest of the country. Like CAR, the mission has grown in scope, pushed the junta away from its traditional security partners, and now wields significant influence. 

Wagner has already engaged in severe human rights abuses in Mali. U.N. reports note a 300% increase in civilian deaths compared to prior years, a disproportionate number committed by security forces. The numbers are likely higher since Wagner, and the Malian government refuses to cooperate with U.N. investigations. The prime example is the town of Moura, where the Wagner and the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) likely killed 300-600 people while “liberating” it from extremists. According to eyewitness accounts, Wagner and FAMA detained, interrogated, and executed most men in the town, regardless of affiliation with extremists. Malian authorities refused to allow the U.N. to investigate with support from Russia in the U.N. Security Council. They even detained investigators when they approached the town.

The E.U.’s Plan to Counter Wagner

Several countries are looking for ways to contain and degrade Wagner’s operations in Africa. The U.S. Department of Treasury and its European counterparts have Prighozhin and other associates under sanctions. In addition, Wagner will likely feature prominently in the Countering Malign Russian Activities Act, which passed the House of Representatives and awaits approval. The U.K. Foreign Affairs Committee has also launched an investigation into Russian mercenaries. 

While most anti-Wagner efforts are nascent at the national level, a recently leaked E.U. report from the European External Action Service (EEAS) proposes taking ambitious steps to contain Russian mercenaries. According to the EEAS, Wagner’s activities in Mali forced the E.U. to suspend its training mission, leading to the erosion of democratic principles and worse humanitarian outcomes. The EEAS wants to launch three missions in West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea that go beyond the typical E.U. training mission. These missions would be trained, equipped, accompanied, and virtually guaranteed that E.U. soldiers would enter combat. 

Without overwhelming support from its member states, the E.U.’s plan is dead on arrival. Brussels is betting that improving its reliability as a security partner and making some efforts to counter Russian disinformation will prevent other West African nations, particularly Burkina Faso and Niger, who face the same security environment as Mali and are reportedly next on the Wagner hit list. However, the obstacles to implementing the plan are likely insurmountable for the E.U. in the near term. 

For all the talk of launching a broad effort across West Africa, doing so actually requires the countries in West Africa to be on board. Niger and Burkina Faso requested E.U. support, but only for logistical support. While they may be interested in an E.U. training, equipping, and accompanying the mission, overstepping their request dramatically might undermine public confidence in their governance and appear to have less sovereignty over their affairs. 

It is also unclear if there is sufficient appetite for the E.U. member states to contribute troops for three additional missions with a more aggressive mandate. In terms of deployments, smaller countries might be squeamish about large implementations. The E.U. might be worried that deploying former colonial powers like France would make the missions susceptible to the same kind of Russian propaganda they seek to counter. Most democracies are casualty-averse, meaning that any significant reversal could compromise participation. Lastly, with Europe’s newfound concern for Russia comes a desire to keep within their borders or contribute to NATO’s frontier with Russia. 

It’s always possible that the E.U. and other efforts contain the group, but generally, Wagner is defeated by its host government. For example, the Mozambican government ended Wagner’s mission following its poor performance, not an E.U. mission in a neighboring country. Moreover, detaching Wagner will be tough without sustained diplomatic and political pressure for those increasingly relying on Wagner to prop up the regime and personalize control over the state, such as CAR and Mali. 

This is a user-submitted piece by Marcel Plichta. Marcel Plichta is a Ph.D. Candidate in International Relations at the University of St Andrews and a former intelligence analyst for the U.S. Department of Defense. He has written on African security issues for Newsweek, Defense One, and World Politics Review. All views are his own.

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Ukraine SITREP for April 3rd (Graphic Content)

SOFREP is on Telegram, joining the ‘Information Terrorists’ plaguing Russia

Given the news blackout in Russia on anything critical of the Putin regime and the difficulty in getting news into that country that doesn’t pass through the filters of state-controlled media like Sputnik, Russia Today(RT), and Pradva.

Putin slammed a law that makes it a crime to spread false information or fake news about Russia’s armed forces or, to report anything that denigrates Russian soldiers in any way. The law also punishes statements perceived to promote restrictions that harm the country, like the commentary on the sanctions. And there are serious penalties, not only in fines but up to 15 years in jail.

Russia has throttled social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for not censoring content that was critical of Russia and its invasion of Ukraine, while in Ukraine itself, the Telegram messaging app is widely used to share and pass information about the war there.

If you don’t know, Telegram is a popular messaging app in Eastern Europe begun by two Russian brothers named Pavel and Nikolai Durov(Yeah, we had suspicions about that too).  They had founded the messaging app “VK” previously but had to abandon it under pressure from Putin to share information with the government on users and messages.  Russia wanted a back door into VK to surveil its users.  The brothers refused and sold off their stake in the company and chose exile over compliance in 2014.  Telegram was originally headquartered in Berlin with distributed servers to handle its cloud-based traffic, but problems with getting residency papers for the core team required another move to register the company in the British Virgin Island and Dubai. The brothers are now said to live pretty much on the run, moving from country to country with a core team of 15-20 people.

Our hope and intention with this channel are to be able to get our information into Russia and Ukraine.  If you have a Telegram account yourself, follow us at @sofrepnews and spread the word.

Are The Russians Withdrawing or Retreating?

Some of both we think. The Russian army has suffered serious combat losses among its fighting units, to these may be added casualties from the cold weather and other medical casualties from their dire supply situation, poor sanitation in the field, desertion, and surrenders to the Ukrainian forces.  There are also other causes. In Kharkiv, the civilians gave Russian troops of the 3rd Motor Rifle Division cakes laced with poison.  Two were reportedly killed with 28 hospitalized.  In the 3rd MRD, as many as 500 troops may be in the hospital from alcohol poisoning. If Ukrainian civilians put rubbing alcohol into vodka bottles and left them lying around for Russian troops to find, that would do the trick as Isopropanol is pretty toxic when consumed.  It’s the leading cause of accidental poisonings in the US.

The Russian will not report these casualties as combat losses.

Ukraine’s offensive advances lead to Russian forces dug in around Kyviv being encircled on three sides short on supplies and short of men.  They either had to be withdrawn before the Ukrainian army closed the encirclement and wiped them out or forced their surrender.  According to Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence Agency, these are the Russian losses so far,

Personnel, killed, captured, and wounded ‒ about 18000 people,
tanks ‒ 644
combat armored machines/APV ‒ 1830
artillery systems/artillery systems ‒ 325
Multiple Launch Rocket Systems ‒ 105
Anti-aircraft warfare systems ‒ 54
Planes/aircraft ‒ 143
Helicopters ‒ 134
Cars/vehicles ‒ 1249
ships/boats/ cutters ‒ 7
fuel trucks ‒ 76
UAV operational-tactical level ‒ 89
mobile ballistic missile launcher systems ‒ 4

People may quibble about the accuracy of these numbers, but the fact that the Russians are unable to advance and are withdrawing would suggest they can’t be too far off.

Russia is withdrawing some of these units because their losses make their combat ineffective. The armored units Russia employed in this campaign are equipment heavy and light on personnel.  Tank and APC crews take time to train and replace.  We also know that Russia’s main tank manufacturing facility is all but closed due to supply chain problems.  That will make it hard for Russia to replace its losses with new gear and they will have to repair broken tanks and APCs in their depots and send them to these units.  The units mauled in the last five weeks of fighting are pretty beat up and will need rest and refitting.  Their morale is also shot.  It’s not as easy as just feeding new troops and equipment into these units and sending them back into the fight.  Their low morale and state of health will negatively affect the replacements as well.  What Russia ought to do, is replace these mangled formations with new units drawn from other districts.  Given the absurdly bad moves, Putin and his army have made so far, they may do the exact wrong thing again and feed fresh troops into these degraded and demoralized formations and send them back into the fight. The results will not be any better.

That fight will not likely involve trying to get back to Kyiv and subdue the entire country.  As they have stated, the Russian effort has contracted and will be directed towards consolidating their gains in Donbas and creating a land bridge via Mariupol to their occupation in Crimea.

Russia will probably play for time with the negotiations to give itself time to reorganize its forces and align them for new attacks on Crimea, Donbas, and Luhansk.

Russian speaking Ukrainian separatists wearing the red and orange armband of pro-Russian militias in Kharkiv in Donbas

Ukraine will Investigate Accusations of War Crimes Against Russian POWs.

A video widely circulated on social media purports to show Ukrainian Army troops shooting Russian POWs in the legs after their capture near Kharkiv.  An advisor to President Zelensky released a video calling for all members of the Ukrainian armed forces to adhere to the rules of armed conflict when it came to the treatment of prisoners.  In an interview with Brett Bair at Fox News, President Zelensky confirmed that the perpetrators were members of the Azov Battalion(Now a Regiment) which are neo-Nazis.  He also confirmed that they are under the authority of the Ukraine government since the war began within the National Guard but are not a “regular army” as we would say in the US.  Looking at the video it is apparent by their miss-matched gear that the Ukrainians are not regular members of the armed forces while one of the prisoners is a civilian dressed in black and wearing a red and orange armband. He is not a Russian soldier but a member of a pro-Russia Ukrainian militia group made up of Russian-speaking Ukrainians. Pro-Russian Ukrainians wear the red and orange St. George’s ribbon as s symbol of past Russian imperial power and to recall the glory of the era of the old Soviet Union.

screen capture of a video purporting to show Ukrainian soldiers shooting Russian army prisoners.

It is important to understand that Ukraine is fighting two wars right now, one against an external invasion by Russia and a civil war between Ukrainians in Donbas, Luhansk, and Crimea.  Central to the fight in Donbas is the so-called Azov Battalion which is widely painted as neo-Nazis. The Russians have used this group as the pretext for invading Ukraine, believing that the Azov Battalion exists everywhere in Ukraine.

The Azov Battalion sprung up in 2014 after Russian-backed separatists began grabbing a large part of Ukrainian territory in Donbas with little resistance from a wholly inadequate Ukrainian army.  Initially comprise of rabid and violent fans of soccer clubs.  The militia itself was begun by Andriy Biletsky, an ultra-nationalist political figure who believed in racial purity for Ukraine and led the openly neo-Nazi Social-National Assembly (SNA).  Biletsky himself says that the neo-Nazi label is incorrect.  Their core beliefs centered on Racism, Socialism, and Great Power.  His group does not adhere to the Nationalist Socialism of the German Nazis but favors 3rd Way Socialism instead and claims that it is more Nationalist than the Nazis and less Socialist.  In the fashion of modern European politics which has nothing on the Right like the limited government, and maximum individual liberty of the American Conservative movement, the Authoritarian Nationalist Socialists of the Azov movement are called “right-wing” while the Authoritarian Communists are called “left-wing.”  Complicating the labeling of the Azov Battalion as “Nazi” a significant amount of their private funding in arms and equipment came from wealthy Jewish oligarchs in Ukraine.

All that said, the Azov are a pretty brutal bunch and we think that is who is responsible for the mistreatment of these Russian soldiers and the pro-Russian Ukrainian seen in the video, and not troops of the regular Ukrainian army.  That is not to say that Ukraine’s army hasn’t skirted the edge of mistreatment of POWs while still claiming to adhere to international laws on their treatment.  There are numerous videos of Russian prisoners being videoed calling their families saying they had been captured and were unaware they were going to Ukraine.  It’s against the rules to use prisoners for things like this.

On March 2, the Facebook page of Ukraine’s Special Forces posted a chilling message to Russian troops that read,“The SOF Brotherhood sends greetings to Russian artillerymen! You made it: after you shelled our peaceful cities, our relatives, and children most brutally – you worms have become our primary target (…).

From now on, there will be no more captive Russian artillerymen. No mercy, no “please don’t kill me, I surrender” will fly. You shall all be slaughtered like pigs no matter the position: commander, driver, the one aiming the gun. “

While this may be a PSYOP meant to intimidate Russian troops, threats like these will not sit well with US military advisors assigned to Ukraine’s military.   US support is not unconditional and widespread abuse of Russian POWs by Ukraine would be a deal-breaker for the US and NATO in terms of aid and assistance.  Zelensky needs to put the breaks on this stuff ASAP or he puts the support of the West at risk.

Photo: pivnichniy.kordon / Facebook

Ukraine Border Guards Turn Back Trans-women at the Border, ‘You are a man, go to the war.’

There are reliable reports that Ukrainian trans-women are presenting themselves at the border to enter Poland, Hungary, and Romania and are being turned back and told they are men and therefore obligated to serve in the army in the fight against Russia. When the invasion of his country began, President Zelensky declared martial law and a general mobilization order binding on all males between the ages of 18 and 60.

While Ukraine does not have a state religion as a matter of law, its de facto religion is Ukrainian Orthodox which separated itself from the Russian Orthodox church which continues to claim jurisdiction over it.  These claims of jurisdiction have also been supported by the Russian government as well.

As Ukraine is a deeply religious country it does not hand out gender reassignments that change people’s names and genders like candy.  a person seeking a legal reassignment of their gender from male to female, or vice versa has to go through a lengthy process first. Before 2017, trans people underwent a period of supervision in a mental institution before they could begin transitioning. While that requirement has been discontinued people seeking gender reassignment still undergo an outpatient psychiatric examination before approval and they must undergo “irreversible medical intervention” as well. Those in the midst of this process don’t have the documentation that says they are officially female and are being turned back at the border and told to join the army and fight.

Claims of Russian Atrocities Against Civilians

As Russian forces withdraw and Ukrainian forces advance, there are increasing reports that are finding evidence of atrocities committed against civilians. We have sources in Ukraine sending us pictures like the above and what follows below.  The individuals above appear to be all-male, none of them are in military uniforms.  The picture was not taken on an apparent battlefield, nor are there any signs they were killed by a bomb, rocket, or artillery shell. At least three are stripped to the waist despite the cold. One has his hands bound behind him with white tape. We think there are at least 9 bodies present. We see no signs that it was staged or photoshopped. They appear to have been executed. We are told these bodies were found in Bucha which is just northwest of Kyiv by advancing Ukrainian forces after Russian troops pulled out.

On March 23 Olga Sukhenko, the mayor of the village of Motyzhin 10 miles west of Kyiv went missing with her husband and son. Ukrainian forces are claiming their bodies were found in a shallow grave, with her husband’s body thrown down a storm drain. All were said to have signs of being tortured before their deaths. The body of the person wearing blue jeans has his hands tied behind his back. The man in the storm drain has something tightly tied around his neck.