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Russian-linked private military contractors (PMCs) have suffered new casualties in Syria, Syrian pro- and Russian pro-opposition militant media outlets claim.
Initial speculations on this issue appeared on November 3 and November 4 when several outlets claimed that an explosion reportedly hit barracks of the 5th Assault Corps of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in the province of Deir Ezzor.
According to one of the versions, the blast allegedly hit “a Russian military HQ” near the Panorama checkpoint near Deir Ezzor city killing at least 5 Russian PMCs as well as killing and injuring multiple SAA troops. However, no photo or video evidence, or at least confirmation from a pro-government source, were provided. The argument used to “confirm” the alleged casualties was that the 5th Assault Corps is widely-known as a Russian-backed military formation, which has been assisted by Russian military advisers.
It should be noted that according to pro-government sources the blast in the area had been caused by a decision to eliminate ISIS-made IEDs removed from the liberated areas.
By November 5, this rumor had evolved and reached Russian media. Novaya Gazeta, a Russian opposition media outlet known for a CNN-style look at the conflict in Syria, claimed that 5 Russian PMCs and 6 SAA servicemen were killed in an explosion somewhere in Deir Ezzor province on November 4. Novaya Gazeta claimed that it had received info from its own “source” in Syria, but failed to provide details of the incident, at least location, and any evidence. The article also used the Russian backing of the 5th Assault Corps as an argument to confirm the alleged casualties among Russian PMCs.
The strange thing is that this rumor faced an uncritical reception in some major Russian media outlets, which just republished it citing Novaya Gazeta.
In fact, the newspaper just repeated rumors circulating in some Arab blogs and pro-militant media claiming that this data had been received from its “source in Syria” to make the article more “solid” in the eyes of the audience.
Unfortunately, over the past few years, it has become a common approach for major Western and Russian media outlets to spread wild speculations and staged lie hiding behind “anonymous sources”.
The aforementioned story is a fresh example how these rumors are being presented as reliable or even confirmed info because they serve somebody’s narrative.
Another well-known story in this field is the speculations about “hundreds” of casualties suffered by Russian PMCs or even Armed Forces as a result of US airstrikes in eastern Syria, which erupted in February 2018. These “hundreds” of killed Russian fighters have never been confirmed and only reliable data exists about some 5 Russian citizens, who died in unclear circumstances in the conflict zone this period.
However, this did not stop the media from repeating the fake story and even top US leadership like President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed it as a fact in their statements.
They are all sons of Goebbels because Goebbels was a son of the yankee commercial propaganda, they are all family!
http://www.patreon.com/troonatnoor Collective ignorance and THE CULT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPz3mJIwXKU
More BS from US and MSM! Thanks Southfront!
It is BS indeed but alt medias are on the same road it seems, SF for sure. While MSM spit their stupid story SF promotes Serbian propaganda about Albanians and others. Same shits.
“……..By November 5, this rumor had evolved and reached Russian media. Novaya Gazeta, a Russian opposition media outlet known for a CNN-style look at the conflict in Syria, claimed that 5 Russian PMCs and 6 SAA servicemen were killed in an explosion somewhere in Deir Ezzor province on November 4……..”
It’s cowardly to compare Novaya Gazeta to CNN. The Russian government is very secretive about the operations of their mercenaries in Syria (and elsewhere). Consequently, reporting on Wagner can have serious consequences. Novaya Gazeta has long been a target of the Russian government. Six of their journalists have been killed since 2001 reporting on unpopular topics – at least to the Russian government, According to Meduza, Novaya Gazeta was again threatened this past week (https://meduza.io/en/news/2018/10/18/someone-sent-a-severed-goat-s-head-and-a-threatening-note-to-a-russian-independent-newspaper?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=share_twitter&utm_campaign=share via @meduzaproject):
“…….Someone wants to scare the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta. On October 18, a basket appeared outside the paper’s newsroom. Inside was a severed goat’s head and a note reading, “To Novaya Gazeta’s chief editor. Greetings to you and Korotkov!” A day earlier, a funeral wreath was delivered to the office, attached to a note that said, “Denis Korotkov is a traitor to the Motherland.”………Denis Korotkov is known for his reports about Russian mercenaries fighting in Syria…….”
Novaya Gazeta is far more credible and believable than the Russian government which has repeatedly lied about recent events (MH17, Skripal, meddling in the US elections etc.). Reporting on the secretive Wagner is dangerous to your health in Russia. Three Russian journalists were recently murdered in the Central Africal Republic (CAR). They were reporting on the presence of the Russian mercenaries (Wagner) in Central Africa. Interestingly enough, a journalist investigating the murders was poisoned and flown to Germany (https://meduza.io/en/news/2018/09/18/pussy-riot-member-pyotr-verzilov-was-reportedly-expecting-an-investigative-report-about-the-murder-of-three-russian-documentary-filmmakers-on-the-day-he-was-apparently-poisoned?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=share_twitter&utm_campaign=share via @meduzaproject):
“…….The day he suddenly fell ill with symptoms suggesting he was poisoned, Mediazona publisher and Pussy Riot member Pyotr Verzilov was supposed to receive the final report on an investigation into the deaths of three Russian documentary filmmakers in the Central African Republic, two sources told the newspaper Novaya Gazeta………”
Others have met the same fate. Maksim Borodin died in a “mysterious” fall from an apartment complex (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/04/16/suspicions-raised-journalist-reported-secretive-russian-mercenaries/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_tw via @telegraphnews):
“………Maksim Borodin, 32, died on Sunday from injuries sustained in a plunge from his five-storey balcony in Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest city, on April 12. He had reported extensively for the news service Novy Den about the deaths of Russian mercenaries from the secretive Wagner group in US airstrikes in Syria in February…….”
Another death related to reporting on Wagner. Interestingly enough, the state-owned journalists at RT and Sputnik make no mention of the story about the deaths of six Russian mercenaries in Syria (at their internet site) – whether the reports are true or not. This most likely reinforces the truth of the report. The journalists at Novaya Gazeta are risking death to report on the Russian government. As an adversarial media outlet, they occupy the same position in relation to the Russian government as outlets like the Intercept and ConsortiumNews occupy relative to the US government. As reported by Meduza, Novaya Gazeta journalists are tempting death at the hands of the Russian government from their reporting on Wagner-related deaths in Syria. The journalists at Novaya Gazeta are obvioulsly courageous.
The attempt to smear Novaya Gazeta is just wrong.
Looks like russian media are infested with traitors.. there is no trace of freedom in western media, complete darkness, yet Russians allow enemy propaganda. big mistake.
If they died there they are heroes and did a great job, however the old news with hundreds of Russians killed not covered by any proving photos of dead bodies is so stupid that it uncovers rumoring agents that spread fake news among the westerners.
Novaya Gazeta = CNN-style media? Ok, but then you certainly don’t understand the position and predicament of one vis-a-vis the other. Besides, you, pal, seem to spout quite a bit of rhetoric yourself, in your so-called reporting and analysis. This simply isn’t analysis without a viewpoint, and you don’t cite a single source to backup your position, if I may add. It’s just entertaining reading, little else.
I’m actually starting to believe this whole site is a trolling farm. This whole website seems to be a Russian influence operation. It’s clearly a trolling farm disguised as some “underground” analysis website that provides military analysis. If people don’t see that after reading one and a half blog posts (bc you really can’t claim these as articles), well then, just keep reading. Zero credibility, really. Just fancy edits.
if it’s a trolling farm, then it’s not Russian by any chance.