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Disputes in the “DPR army”

12/01/2015 06:19:00 pm
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By the mid of July a new crisis took place in the ranks of the so-called "militia of DPR" which is reorganized into several teams that are subordinate to one army corps, led by the Russian leader.

Numerous internal contradictions of the commanders that led to internecine clashes in Donetsk (including an episode with the explosion of E. Filippova’s car, the secretary of  Zakharchenko) worsened because of lack in the supply of food, and, oddly enough, of people.

The latter became known thanks to a private conversation with one of the "republican" military, recently retired from the "militia". This man, who was formally in the rank of sergeant and commander of "BM-21", did not receive documents confirming his rank for the entire period of service.

According to his words, the arrears of wages at the beginning of July in his team were just two months, and many of the soldiers had just quitted.

In order to keep the remaining "militants" till autumn when, according to him, the first serious official call is planned, in other words, replacing of dissatisfied, the remained soldiers were paid arrears for one month  and a half and then found somewhere money for the two other weeks.

It should be noted that the situation inside the fighting groups who have overcome such hot spots like Ilovaysk or Debaltseve is amplified not only by salary arrears and bad food but also by the absence of hostilities. People accustomed to the constant risk and feeling important are in the situation of "senseless sitting in the sheds (barracks - Ed.) in anticipation of nothing clear and even not being paid".

According to one man, because of the lack of people they have to work for two or three persons when the dismissal happens once a month or month and a half, and trains with 100 kilos boxes of ammunition are discharged by the platoon. "I do not understand who I am, a Grad commander or “the loader," - he says.

I must say that this deplorable situation is not common in the elite units that carry out specific combat missions and participating in direct clashes with the AFU.

These include first and foremost Sparta, many of its soldiers drive expensive cars, but at the same time, they bury their "colleagues" more often. That’s why some people from the "peaceful" brigades of "militia" are trying to be transferred to hot spots, where there are no problems with the supply and payment of money. Some of them settle in other more profitable structures, such as prosecutors and the Ministry of State Security.

Overall, the difficult situation within "DPR" isn’t hidden by its adherents, like Eduard Limonov, who in his information note in the local separatist public account wrote: "The mood of the men is different. Someone leaves the army and goes away, someone believes that everything happens according to the plan. Everyone is waiting for the ukropy to provoke hostilities. But there are provocations and no hostilities there. Still there are clashes, sometimes in Maryanka, more regularly at the airport and very regularly in Gorlovka. Everyone is tired of the strange situation. We are waiting ... Many believe that next month there will be full-scale hostilities. But it seems to me that this is done intentionally in order to deter people. There is no clarity".

With regard to the internal "warfare" of high commanders, recently all the tension is around the "republican" GRU. Andrey Fadeyev was quite an important figure who had entered "militia" in the summer of 2014 and become the head of the 2nd company of GRU. The point is that Fadeyev was former leader of the violent gang that operated in Donetsk at the beginning of the two thousandth and dealt with robbery and looting.

Here is how one of the local supporters of "Russian world" E. Krutikov describes Fadeyev: "... usual street "thugs" without shame or conscience. But the head of the gang was already quite a grown man born in 1979 called Fadeyev Andrey. A tall, strong, beautiful, intelligent and excellent organizer and charismatic personality but at the same time a completely gunman with fascist affections. In 2007 he was finally caught, sentenced to 15 years on the set of offences (murder, robbery, gang organization and involvement in the criminal activities of minors) and sent to the colony near Slavyanoserbsk. He did nearly seven years. In the summer of 2014 Slavyanoserbsk colony was in a combat zone and Fadeyev simply left as Ukrainian guards and police had run away earlier. Having reached his native Donetsk, he joined the militia and quickly became the head of the 2nd company of GRU. In the short term Fadeyev employed in the 2nd company fighters who are very loyal to him. Soon the company of special forces almost turned into an ordinary gang. A list of its acts is huge but typical. This includes looting of rich apartments in Donetsk under the guise of "struggle against sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the enemy", kidnapping and torture of businessmen for ransom or transfer of business, coal smuggling, raids on trains and even theft of humanitarian aid.

The situation in the GRU became especially burning after appearance of the red jeep with a young girl Alexandra inside. Alexandra is said to behave in extremely rude way in the GRU even with senior officers and constantly boasted of her ties with top officials of “DPR”. In the end in May 2015 for no reason she was appointed the first deputy head of the GRU with the assignment of a military rank of "Major" which was perceived as an insult by those who have overcome the fire and water to get such a rank".

As a result the “republican” GRU began to face massive outflow of professional staff. I must say that today "DPR" is not just a structure with a rigid military, but in fact a military clan organization, where everything is based on inner ties system and secret agreements. Zakharchenko’s inner circle is divided into segments from control of business to income from military structures. And such behavior of the new major really could be based only on serious backers, that in the end such guess was confirmed by two facts: Alexandra was seen in close ties with Fadeyev, and exploded in Donetsk Fillipova who was Secretary of Zakharchenko proved to be her mother. In addition, it is easy to assume that the bomb was meant for her, because the exploded red Range Rover was the car in which the major came to the office.

After this attempt on her mother, "major Sasha" as she was secretly called by her "colleagues" ordered the loyal 2nd company of the GRU to surround the location, arrest and "put in the basement" several commanders. "During the day a bloodbath almost started in the center of Donetsk, it took the intervention of the army and "external forces" to release the captured GRU officers and the 2nd company was disarmed. Now in the atmosphere of general uncertainty you need to get rid of such people as Fadeyev. The criminal situation in Donbas leaves much to be desired and such stories influence the leaders of “DPR” and “DPR” itself"- commented on the recent situation in Donetsk E. Krutikov.

Thus, the internal contradictions and the reorganization of the military "republican" structures are taking place on the background of the objective problems with the supply and the financing of teams that are not involved in direct clashes and such a situation gradually raises the degree of dissatisfaction of the leadership of the "republic" inside "DPR".

Stas Vasin, Donetsk for OstroV