Ukraine says Vladimir Putin’s party is training its own private army

This article was originally published in English

The intelligence service of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (GUR) claimed on Wednesday that “United Russia”, the party of Vladimir Putin, was in the process of forming its own “private army”, a mercenary company called “Hispaniola”.

Many of its members belong to the Russian militant group, Vostok Battalion, a regiment that is part of pro-Russian forces in Donbass and operates mainly in Ukraine’s partially occupied Donetsk region.

“Hispaniola” was previously part of the battalion as a voluntary unit of Russian hooligans.

GUR reports that since 2023, United Russia has taken control of “Hispaniola”, declared it to have the status of a private military company and began actively recruiting using the party’s own funds.

The report also states that the mercenary group is made up of football ultras, radicals and neo-Nazi sympathizers. They also recruit people from poor regions of Russia.

In its statement, the GUR confirms that the main places of recruitment are in the Ukrainian territories partially occupied by Russia since the beginning of the invasion on February 24.

Volunteers will receive 220,000 rubles (2,200 euros) per month for at least six months at the front. Recruits are promised insurance of 1 to 3 million rubles (up to 30,000 euros) in the event of injury and 5 million rubles (more than 50,000 euros) in the event of death.

“But financial motivation is just a cover. For most recruits, it’s a one-way ticket. The Russians don’t remove the dead or seriously wounded from the battlefield. They register them as ‘missing’ so as not to have to pay the parents”explains the GUR.

What is “Hispaniola”?

A look at the Telegram channel of “Hispaniola” reveals that it is a group of ultras from Russian football camps fighting in Ukraine.

Its leader, Stanislav Orlov, is known as “the Spaniard”.

“It is unclear why he chose this name, as he is not known to have any links to Spain”indicates a researcher from the Antifascist Europe network, specializing in the extreme right, to the Spanish daily Ara.

Stanislav Orlov would be a “dangerous ultra linked to CSKA Moscow football team” who has led the group in the Donetsk region for at least eight years.

The pro-Russian gang is made up of the most violent supporters on Russian football fields.

Stanislav Orlov has claimed in interviews that he joined the Russian army in 1999 and participated in the Second Chechen War.

According to his account, he traveled to Ukraine in 2014 with a group of ultras to support the Donbass uprising.

After the invasion of Ukraine began, Stanislav Orlov created and organized a unit of Shakhtar Donetsk ultras to fight alongside the Donbass rebels, as well as hooligans from CSKA, Spartak, Lokomotiv and Zenit Saint PETERSBOURG.

But “Hispaniola” is just one group among others.

Moscow continues to rely on irregular mercenaries, despite the Wagner group’s brief uprising last year, and many rich and powerful Russians own private military companies.