NEUILLY SUR SEINE, France (Reuters] – The Russian military failed to take the Ukrainian capital because it had not faced a formidable enemy during the previous years, said a former mercenary who fought with the Russian army and was part of the Kremlin linked Wagner Group.

Marat Gabidullin was part of Wagner Group missions in Syria for the Kremlin, as well as in the previous conflict in Ukraine. Before deciding to publish his personal experiences inside the secretive private military corporation, he also took part in the mission.

Gabidullin quit Wagner in 2019 but he got a call from an recruiter inviting him to fight in Ukraine again as a soldier.

He declined the offer because he was not in agreement on principle with Kremlin’s invasion Ukraine.

He claimed that Russian forces are not capable of the task, despite boasting their success in Syria and their weapons arsenal.

Gabidullin spoke out about Russia’s defeats in Ukraine, saying that “they were completely taken by surprise that Ukraine’s army resisted so strongly and that they faced an army.”

He stated that the Russian side was expecting to encounter rag-tag militias, and not regular well-trained troops when it invades Ukraine.

Gabidullin is in France to publish a book that he wrote about his battle with the Wagner Group.

Dmitry Peskov (Kremlin spokesperson) said he does not know Gabidullin’s identity and that he was never a member private military corporations.

He said, “We, state, government, and the Kremlin, cannot have anything to do”

A request to comment was not received by the Russian defense ministry.

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a “special operation” that it says is not designed to occupy territory but to destroy its southern neighbour’s military capabilities and capture what it regards as dangerous nationalists.

Gabidullin belongs to a growing group of Russians with security backgrounds, who support President Vladimir Putin’s foreign incursions. However, they now believe that the manner in which the war is being carried out is not competent.

Igor Girkin was a pro-Kremlin leader in the 2014 armed rebellion in Ukraine. He has expressed concern about how this campaign is being carried out. Alexei Alexandrov (an architect of the revolt in 2014) told Reuters, March, that it was a mistake to invade.

Gabidullin was involved in the most bloody clashes in Syria in Deir al-Zor, Ghouta, and close to the ancient city Palmyra. A grenade that exploded behind him during the battle for Latakia in 2016, left Gabidullin with serious injuries.

Gabidullin spent one week in an induced coma, followed by three months in a hospital. There, he underwent surgery to have some intestines and kidneys removed. Independent verification by Reuters shows that he was fighting in Syria with the Wagner Group.

Rights groups, the Ukrainian government and rights organizations have accused Wagner Group fighters of war crimes committed in Syria and Ukraine since 2014. Gabidullin claimed that he has never been involved with such abuses.

DIFFERENT PROPOSITION

Moscow’s support helped turn the tide for the Syrian civil war in favor of Assad. Gabidullin however stated that Russia’s military specialized in attacks from the skies while relying heavily on Wagner mercenaries, and other proxies, to carry out the bulk of fighting on the ground.

Also, the task of the Russian military was much easier. The Russian military was able to defeat its opponents, the Islamic State and other militias. They had neither anti-aircraft or artillery.

He said that fighting Ukraine was an entirely different matter.

He said, “I have seen enough of them” in Syria.

“The military forces …. that were needed to learn to fight did not do so for real,” he stated.

Wagner Group is an informal entity with no staff or offices. U.S. Treasury Department has stated that Wagner Group may be linked to Yevgeny Privozhin of the European Union. Prigozhin denied that there were any links.

Concord Management and Consulting, Prigozhin’s main business, did not respond to a request for comment.

Vladimir Putin stated that private military contractors are allowed to travel and work anywhere they like, provided they don’t break Russian laws. Putin stated that the Wagner Group was not a representative of the Russian state and had no payment from it.

Gabidullin claimed that although he was aware of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, he never expected it to happen on this scale.

“I couldn’t even imagine that Russia would make war on Ukraine. It’s impossible. “It’s impossible,” said he.

He also stated that he did not believe in attacking Ukraine as a sovereign country.

“Its freedom to exist independently must be recognized.” I don’t see in the actions of this state any aggression towards Russia.”

“I said: no guys, that’s without me please, you go yourselves. “Ukraine is for me a country in which I was born, and where my family grew up. They are my compatriots,” said he.