Russian Spetsnaz, Contractors and Volunteers in the Syrian Conflict
This article focuses on a little-explored aspect of Russia’s intervention in Syria: the new and diverse expeditionary forces engaged on the Syrian frontlines alongside Russian regular armed forces.
Syria represents the first battlefield in which the Russian Federation has, in a coordinated manner and on a large military scale, deployed and activated a contingent of expeditionary forces including the new Special Operations Forces (SSO) and different categories of special forces (Spetsnaz); the newly created military police; military advisers and technicians; as well as "volunteers", "contractors" (kontraktniki) and other paramilitaries working on behalf of private military companies.
A graduate of the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris and holder of a PhD in political science at Sciences Po-Paris, Sarah Fainberg is a research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv.
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Russian Spetsnaz, Contractors and Volunteers in the Syrian Conflict
Russia/Eurasia Center
Founded in 2005 within Ifri, the Russia/Eurasia Center conducts research and organizes debates on Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus. Its goal is to understand and anticipate the evolution of this complex and rapidly changing geographical area in order to enrich public discourse in France and Europe and to assist in strategic, political, and economic decision-making.
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