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Source: http://warontherocks.com/2016/04/moscows-mercenaries-in-syria/
Moscow's Mercenaries in Syria
(War on the Rocks) Mark Galeotti - It is increasingly clear that there are Russians on the ground with Syrian army forces. Some are Spetsnaz special forces, there for recon and forward air control, but others are mercenaries working for private contractors. "Private" is a euphemism for "deniable." Russian contractors appear to be operating T-90 tanks in combat and similar heavy equipment, and were at the fore of the recent drive to take Palmyra. The force in question, which may comprise 400 effectives, was disclosed last week by the independent Russian Fontanka news site. Its commander, Lt. Col. (res.) Dmitri Utkin, 46, was until 2013 an officer in the 2nd Spetsnaz Brigade, and on mustering out, joined the Moran Security Group, a private security company. Moran is run by Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) veterans. Originally deployed to protect key government installations and assist in the security of Russian bases, as the war has taken a more offensive turn they are being used to stiffen and support Assad's forces. As a result they have suffered "dozens" of combat losses. The writer is Professor of Global Affairs at New York University's Center for Global Affairs and director of its Initiative for the Study of Emerging Threats.