Is there finally evidence to support stories about Russian bounties?

Bill.in.PA · 2022-04-12T20:35:51.504Z

Here is a report from the Spanish paper, La Razon:

“This former legionary of the Third Great Captain has been fighting the Russians for more than two weeks: for each “man killed” he charges 300 dollars from an American security company.”

La Razón – 29 Jul 22

Un francotirador español en Kiev: «Mis opciones de salir vivo de aquí son del...

Este ex legionario del Tercio Gran Capitán lleva más de dos semanas combatiendo a los rusos: por cada “hombre abatido” cobra 300 euros de una empresa de seguridad americana

Should there be an investigation to confirm the report of bounties on Russian soldiers?

If the story is true, $300 sounds like a very low price.

Should American security companies be offering such a low bounty for dead Russians?

SixFoot · 2022-04-12T20:37:37.517Z

Those slavs are lucky to pull numbers like that! They better not be complaining.

Supreme_War_Pig · 2022-04-12T21:11:33.531Z

Okay, let me see if I’ve got this straight.

The claim is that an American security company has recruited mercenaries, and is paying them $300 dollars for each Russian they kill?

Bill.in.PA · 2022-04-12T21:28:23.441Z

That is what the story from the Spanish mercenary is saying. Here are some more excerpts from an English translation:

He specifies that the figure depends enormously on the qualification and the task, “they do not pay the same to a paramedic as to a sniper. Or a drone pilot than a zafador or an artificer.” Then there are the “pluses”. “In my case, it’s $300 per man killed . . .”

Since I act alone, I am ground gold to them. If you don’t need anyone, it’s cheaper, of course. And on top of that, in my case, with good marksmanship confirmed at 1,600 meters. They asked me why I hadn’t come before." So far, he has not met any other snipers: “We are very few. We make more casualties than anyone else after artillery. Then there are those who pilot the drones, which are in high demand. It’s mind-blowing what they do.”

Scratch · 2022-04-12T21:33:45.445Z

Supreme_War_Pig:

has recruited mercenaries,

I think they go by “Contactors” these days.

Supreme_War_Pig · 2022-04-12T21:35:10.181Z

First of all, let us have a moment of silent respect for the phrase “zafado or artificer”.

So…this is a bonus or bounty for kills. This feels wrong, but for the life of me, I can’t figure our why. If you pay a merc to kill, what difference does the payment structure make?

Another question: why is an “American security firm” even involved? Are they contracted by the Ukranian government?

Edit: oh, and thanks for the clarification.

Supreme_War_Pig · 2022-04-12T21:36:53.265Z

Scratch:

Supreme_War_Pig:

has recruited mercenaries,

I think they go by “Contactors” these days.

Sure, but I am not going to worry about PC titles here. Heh.

Bill.in.PA · 2022-04-12T21:45:56.010Z

I suspect that “zafador” is a misprint in Spanish. Zapador means “sapper”

en.wikipedia.org

Sapper

The term sapper is a historical term for a combat engineer that remains in use to describe certain personnel in various armies. The term is used, for example, in the armies of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth nations and in the U.S. military. A sapper, in the sense first used by the French military, was one who dug trenches to allow besieging forces to advance towards the enemy defensive works and forts. Over ground that is under the defenders' musket or artillery fire. It comes from ...

Here is the meaning for “artificiero” in Spanish:

m. and f. Military specially instructed in the classification, reconnaissance, conservation, packaging, loading and unloading of projectiles, cartridges, fuses and stopines.
m. and f. Technician in the handling of explosives.
m. and f. pyrotechnic (‖ connoisseur and practitioner of pyrotechnics).
https://dle.rae.es/artificiero

Supreme_War_Pig · 2022-04-12T22:18:32.721Z

Interestingly enough, zafado also works. Spanish for crazy fool.

Bill.in.PA · 2022-04-12T22:39:56.802Z

That would explain why a Spanish spell-check did not catch it.

The story seems credible to me. The Spanish paper is unlikely source for Russian disinformation, and the story does not fit into the narratives pushed by Washington.

That does not mean that is necessarily true, but there should be an investigation into whether the US is putting bounties on Russian soldiers.

The story about alleged bounties on US soldiers in Afghanistan was a big deal during 2020. The Biden White House eventually admitted that there was no real evidence to support the story. What would be the US reaction have been a mercenary coming forward to say that a Russians were paying him to kill Americans?

NPR

Congress Unites To Demand Answers From Trump On Russian Bounties In Afghanistan

Lawmakers in both parties demand to learn more from the Trump administration after press reports suggested that Russian operatives have paid Afghan insurgents to target U.S. forces.

AP NEWS

White House: Intel on Russian 'bounties' on US troops shaky

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says that the intelligence community does not have conclusive evidence that Russian intelligence operatives encouraged the Taliban to attack American troops in Afghanistan. The assessment, revealed Thursday as the...

Guvnah · 2022-04-12T22:44:26.263Z

War is hell.

I don’t see why anyone should be wasting cycles of worry over any of this. It’s not even our circus or our monkeys.

Bill.in.PA · 2022-04-12T23:08:09.192Z

The American company and/or elements within the US government could be hiring snipers authorization from the White House. They may see it as an opportunity to further their own interests, and we could end up in major escalation in the war in Ukraine without the approval of any elected official.

If that sounds far-fetched consider what has already happened in Syria. The military lied about the number US troops in Syria under Trump. Under Obama factions supported by Pentagon ended up fighting against factions supported by the CIA.

New York Post – 13 Nov 20

Retiring diplomat says defense officials misled Trump on troop count in Syria

WASHINGTON — US defense officials routinely misled President Trump into believing the American troop count in Syria was a lot lower than it actually is, a retiring US diplomat said in a bombshell i…

The Washington Standard – 28 Mar 16

Syria: Islamic Militias Armed by Pentagon are now Fighting Those Armed by the...

See? This is just one more reason why we should keep our noses out of other people's business. We just make matters worse. It's now come to light that the US

Est. reading time: 3 minutes

Supreme_War_Pig · 2022-04-12T23:56:46.730Z

There is no way Biden would approve of this. He’s not that kind of man. But even if we get cynical about it, Biden still doesn’t do it, he wouldn’t squander the moral highground

FloridaYankee · 2022-04-13T00:00:39.764Z

Bill.in.PA:

Here is a report from the Spanish paper, La Razon:

“This former legionary of the Third Great Captain has been fighting the Russians for more than two weeks: for each “man killed” he charges 300 dollars from an American security company.”
Un francotirador español en Kiev: «Mis opciones de salir vivo de aquí son del 50%»

Should there be an investigation to confirm the report of bounties on Russian soldiers?

If the story is true, $300 sounds like a very low price.

Should American security companies be offering such a low bounty for dead Russians?

Where do I send my 300?

Bill.in.PA · 2022-04-13T00:21:52.449Z

Okay, if Biden is not authorizing this, who is? Are American contractors acting on their own or for some other entity?

The White House is claiming that there are war crimes and genocide in Ukraine, and they are blaming Russia. A rogue contractor or private army could easily provide a pretext for a greatly expanded war.

Here is a description the operations of the mercenaries from the Spanish link:

In addition to the harshness of a conflict in which “everyone acts in an inhumane way with civilians in between”, this Madrid elite shooter has been surprised by the presence in Kiev of so many private security agencies. "Here I have not seen militias of armed civilians. There are military companies from many countries, including Ukraine. A controller does an interview with you, they know you, they take pictures of you. They see all that you are and have been. There are Polish, Swedish, Danish and, above all, from the USA. They assemble teams of six people and, if you are the card of the deck that they lack, they hire you.

Supreme_War_Pig · 2022-04-13T00:36:55.438Z

Well, IF this is true (and that is a big if), Ukraine could hire the contractors.

As far as responsibility: THAT is a sticky wicket. I guess it would be the company that employs them, and the country that hires them

Bill.in.PA · 2022-04-13T00:42:39.316Z

If elements in Ukraine want to get NATO into the war, committing atrocities and blaming them on the Russians is a good way to do it.

Another approach would be to commit atrocities against Russian POWs and Russian-speaking civilians to provoke an over-the-top Russian response. There are already gruesome videos that appear to show torture and murder of Russian POWs.

BBC News

Does video show Russian prisoners being shot?

Ukrainian authorities investigate a video apparently showing Russian PoWs being shot in the legs.

Supreme_War_Pig · 2022-04-13T00:48:54.617Z

There seems to be a lot of concern around false flags in this war.

GWH · 2022-04-13T11:03:52.170Z

MSB should have held out for this deal. For you kids out there unaware of the devaluation of the dollar, this kind of work went for $2billion a head in 2018.

Bill.in.PA · 2022-04-13T14:00:38.607Z

The report from the Spanish mercenary is hardly unique. A French reporter has come forward with a similar story of Americans running military units in Ukraine.

“And who is in charge? It’s the Americans, I saw it with my own eyes,” said Malbrunot, adding, “I thought I was with the international brigades, and I found myself facing the Pentagon.”

There are reports that the US presence is not limited to contractors and mercenaries:

Citing a French intelligence source, Malbrunot also tweeted that British SAS units “have been present in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, as did the American Deltas.”

Russia is apparently well aware of the “secret war” being waged in Ukraine by foreign commandos who have been in the region since February.

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