Russian intelligence has created a shadow army of mercenaries

Russian intelligence has created a private military company called Redut, which was positioned as a "volunteer association."

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty reported this.

In their investigation, journalists report that this armed group is controlled and funded by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian General Staff (GRU).

This is confirmed by prisoners of war from the group. They told journalists that they were trained at the Trigulyai base near Tambov. This base belongs to the 16th Special Forces Brigade of the GRU. Documents found with the military also confirm this. They bear the official stamps of the unit and the address of the base in Tambov.

The POWs also named their curators. The journalists found out that they were GRU officers. One of them, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseev, is the initiator of the group's creation.

The Redut PMC took part in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and directly in the battles in the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions.