Shadow Warriors: The Rise of Russia’s Unseen PMCs

Hey there! So, you want the lowdown on some of the lesser-known PMCs (Private Military Companies) that have been popping up in the news lately? Buckle up, because it’s quite the wild ride.

Let’s start with the Orthodox Brotherhood. These guys are like the medieval knights of the modern battlefield, except they’re packing more than just swords and shields. Linked to the Russian Orthodox Church, they’re on a mission to defend what they see as Christian Russia against the influences of the West, which they believe has taken over Kyiv.

Next up is “Konvoy”. No, not the trucker kind, but a pair of twin organizations founded by the St. Petersburg City Cossack Society back in 2022. They’re led by a dude named Konstantin “Mazai” Pikalov, who’s got a resume that includes stints with the Wagner group and the Crimea militia. He was also tight with Yevgeny Prigozhin, which in this world, is a pretty big deal. Each of the 300 fighters in Konvoy gets a cool $2,500 a month and a promise of land in Crimea and Abkhazia.

Then there’s the “Ural” PMC, the brainchild of Igor Altushkin, a Russian oligarch with deep pockets. This group is like a call to arms for volunteers from the Urals region, and they’ve reportedly seen action near Kreminna. There was a bit of drama when Altushkin tried to recruit from Russian prisons, but Prigozhin was having none of it and put a stop to that plan.

Don’t forget about PMC “Bokarev” (or “Bokareva”), which is shrouded in mystery. It’s likely the brainchild of another Russian billionaire, Andrei Bokarev. This PMC made its debut mention in April 2023 by none other than Prigozhin himself, but details about their operations are as scarce as a snowball in the Sahara.

“Sparta” and “Demon” are two more PMCs that have entered the scene. Not much is known about them, but they’re part of the growing list of private military companies that are changing the face of modern warfare.

Last but not least, we’ve got “Cascade”, founded by Dmitry Sablin, a big shot Anti-Maidan oligarch. Named after a Soviet–Afghan War detachment, Cascade has some serious political muscle, with six members of the State Duma from United Russia, including Dmitry Khubezov and Sergei Sokol, claiming to be part of the group.

So there you have it, a quick tour of the shadowy world of PMCs. It’s a mix of old-school mercenary vibes with a dash of modern geopolitics, all wrapped up in a not-so-secret secret war. Stay tuned, because this saga is far from over.