Putin resorts to the private army 'Española' of neo-Nazis and football hooligans led by a warlord called 'The Spaniard'
Putin has resorted to recruiting neo-Nazis and football hooligans to form his own private army: the ruthless Española group.
By bringing die-hard football fans together Russiathe group's leader, Orlov Stanislav – nicknamed 'The Spaniard' – founded a military unit that fought in some of the most intense battles of the war in Ukraine.
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Ukraine's Defense Intelligence confirmed last month that Putin is United Russia had officially granted the group the status of a private military company (PMC).
The unit is recruiting football criminals, especially those closer to Nazi ideology, but also citizens from poor parts of the world Russia and occupied territories.
Because it gained popularity after the invasion of UkraineAccording to Lucas Webber, co-founder of the Militant Wire research network, the battalion fought in major battles, including in Mariupol, Bakhmut, Soledar and Vuhledar.
With “hundreds” of fighters, the volunteer brigade operates “with a degree of independence” from Russian forces, he said.
He told The Sun: “Española is playing an important role in reaching out to Russia's ultra-hooligan communities and attracting recruits and support from these populations to the war in Ukraine.
“Española appeals to a unique subset of Russia's far-right militaristic ecosystem and is distinct from the neo-Nazi Rusich Organization and the hardline Orthodox Russian Imperialist Movement.
“Española is a volunteer brigade that operates with a degree of independence from the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
“The group has historical ties with the armed forces of the Donetsk People's Republic and has hundreds of fighters.
“The propaganda describes how versatile it is, having artillery, anti-aircraft weapons, sniper teams, drone operators and more.”
While several rogue mercenary groups have emerged since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Española has gradually begun to form since the Russian invasion. annexation of Crimea in 2014.
The group – previously associated with the militant group Vostok Battalion – operated mainly in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region.
The group's leader is Stanislav Orlov, 43, a prominent figure among CSKA fans.
Orlov, a radical member of the team's Red-Blue Warriors, claims to have joined the Russian army in 1999 and fought in the Second Chechen War.
He is said to have fought alongside other ultras against the Donbas in 2014 and earned his nickname “The Spaniard” thanks to his language skills as he could recruit foreign mercenaries.
After the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Orlov founded the Española Group, as Putin despaired trying to boost the ranks on the front line – with even ex-international soccer player Andrey Solomatin, 47, signs up.
Webber said one of the group's most visible members is former MMA fighter and Zenit hooligan Mikhail “Pitbull” Turkanov.
Turkanov – who did that tattoos of the swastika – was wounded in battle and received awards from the Russian army.
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Dr. Stephen Hall, a lecturer in Russian and post-Soviet politics at the University of Bath, estimates that the elite army unit has around 1,000 members and has been actively supported by Russia throughout the war.
He told The Sun: 'Orlov probably has close links to someone in the US Department of Defense.
“He has been fighting in the Donbas since 2014 and has been there for a long time.
“He certainly has a past like football criminal and he founded the mercenary group Española in February 2022, just after the war started – so it was clear that someone had prepared.
“They have relied heavily on football criminals in the Moscow-based football teams, such as… DynamoLokomotiv and Spartak.
“They seem well prepared, well trained and well equipped by the Russians army.
“The Russian military has given them a lot of support because they are the ones fighting against Azov, the group that Russian state propaganda has declared Nazis and those behind the Ukrainian regime.”
Dr. Hall notes that the 'dark' group does not have a strong social media presence – unlike Wagner – but explains how they use Telegram to goal recruits.
He added: “It's quite a shady group, whereas at Wagner they were running their social media campaign. Espanola has no social media footprint.
“That always leads to the question of who is behind it and who is protecting them. I say Defense.”
They appear to be well prepared, well trained and well equipped by the Russian military
Dr. Stephen Hall
Telegram is widely used across Russia and is “a more effective way to recruit the people you want to connect with,” he adds.
The potential candidates are interviewed through the platform and if successful, they are taken for training in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, volunteers are paid a salary of £1,900 per month for a minimum of six months on the front line.
Russia also uses “insurance payouts” to lure civilians into battle – which can range from £8,700 to £43,500 depending on the severity of the injury.
But Ukrainian intelligence notes that for most civilians the first battle is a “one-way ticket” as they are used as cannon fodder.
The dead and seriously injured are registered as 'missing' so that Russia does not have to pay the families.
Russian ultras: the 'Battle of Marseille'
The infamous Battle of Marseille took place during England's opening match for Euro 2016.
The mass brawl broke out when Russian football fans attacked England supporters, leaving many of them seriously injured after a 1-1 draw.
Fourteen England fans were left in hospital, including two with life-threatening injuries.
Father-of-three Stewart Gray was left fighting for his life after being ambushed by hooligans.
His brother Duncan described the scenes as “like a war zone, the worst violence I have ever seen.”
Dr. Hall told The Sun: “This is the 'beauty' of Eastern European football.
“As we know from 2016, when Russian and English football fans met in Marseille, what Russian fans did was absolutely sensational
“They had football wars and battles, so they were good at that.”
Lucas Webber added: “Española uses its online propaganda apparatus as well as real domestic networks.
“It operates several channels on Telegram and VK. His propaganda campaign also includes community initiatives and humanitarian work in occupied territories in Ukraine to raise his profile and grow his ranks.
'An example is the establishment of a youth football team in occupied Ukraine.
'This became apparent, for example, during the mutiny of the Wagner group.'
“In its propaganda, Española presents a patriotic message of football ultras overcoming previous divisions to unite for a nationalist cause.
“The group has at times criticized the Russian government and military establishment.”
The Española Group is part of a long list of units operating in Ukraine.
Apart from Wagner who was hit the death of its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin last summer, other smaller paramilitary forces include Ptok, by energy giant Gazprom, Redut, the Patriot, the Orthodox Brotherhood, ENOT.
They all operate all over the world, recruiting all kinds of soldiers – apparently with the support of Russia.
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