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8 months ago
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A RUSSIAN neo-Nazi mercenary commander has died under mysterious circumstances after the private military group was taken over by Putin’s billionaire friend.
Vyacheslav “Vykhodnoy” Subbotin, 37, was the so-called Head of Intelligence of the notorious Española battalion consisting of Neo-Nazis and football hooligans.
Vyacheslav ‘Vykhodnoy’ Subbotin died under mysterious circumstances
ESPAÑOLA’S TELEGRAM CHANNEL
The 37-year-old was Española’s “Head of intelligence”
The group held a farewell ceremony for Subbotin in the Russian-held Donetsk region
The private army is reportedly taken over by Vlad’s close friend Arkady RotenbergMystery surrounds the sudden death of Subbotin amid conflicting reports about the circumstances.
His death comes as the private army is reported to be coming under the sway of Arkady and Boris Rotenberg, two of the despot’s closest cronies.
Sources in Española claimed Subbotin was killed “while carrying out a combat mission with a weapon in his hands.”
He died “a real Russian, and he was always proud of it”.
Yet Ukrainian sources said he died when his “drunk driver” lost control of a vehicle and crashed into a tree.
A picture emerged from the alleged scene of his death as it was reported that the driver survived.
A HOOLIGAN TURNED SPY CHIEF
Subbotin had been an “Ultra” fan of CSKA Moscow before the war against Ukraine.
He was reportedly a leading member of the neo-Nazi group of Zarya-18 hardline fans.
Shortly before his death, the hardline nationalist – a colonel’s son – had organised a sick concert in Moscow celebrating the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, 47.
The gig was the national Bolshevik post-punk Band of Four and the far-right Orthodox hardcore band From My Youth at Moscow club Gorod.
There were chants of “A blood clot broke off’, signalling approval of Navalny’s death.
A blood clot was the initial official explanation of his death.
During the war, the hooligan-turned-spy chief was credited with “personally mastering all the most advanced military technologies and…all types of small arms and heavy weapons”.
A video shows Subbotin’s farewell ceremony in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region as hooligan fighters touched his closed coffin, and fired guns in a salute.
His day job before the war was as regional manager of a consumer chain in charge of servicing engineering systems and is believed to have worked for H&M.
The hardliner had said: “I am a Russian nationalist and I am not ashamed of it.
“Nationalism consists of love for one’s nation, country, this is a wonderful feeling.
“Therefore, my most important goal at the special military operation is the fight against Russophobia, which is flourishing in the West and Ukraine with the help of the West.”
He also made a ghoulish propaganda video for children vowing to show them the severed ear of a Ukrainian fighter if they got good marks at school.
In the 34-second footage, he clutches a Kalashnikov and tells children: “Never allow anyone to trample on our flag.
“Love your motherland. Respect the elderly. We will definitely win because good always defeats evil.
“And here we are – the real warriors of light, not of darkness.
“And those of you, dear children, who finish this school year with top marks, I will bring you an Azov fighter’s ear, which my combat fighter [nicknamed] Crazy will cut off.”
It comes after the controversial Rotenberg takeover of the hooligan battalion via their associate Viktor Shendrik, a former FSB agent who heads the security service at Russian Railways.
“Española was created by fans, mainly of Spartak [Moscow football club], then the Rotenbergs came there with the idea of taking over the PMC for themselves,” a source said.
“Now many large companies are creating their own private armies, and the brothers want to make their own private army based on Espaniola.
“They put Viktor in charge of this because he worked for a long time in their security service and served in Vympel” [former KGB/FSB special forces unit].
Many see oligarchs and major Russian corporations as arming themselves amid fears the country will descend into civil war in the event of Moscow losing the war against Ukraine – or Putin dying or being toppled.
Arkady Rotenberg, 72, is Putin’s former judo sparring partner and perhaps closest friend from childhood.
Arkady, with £2.74 billion, is a construction mogul who – with other members of his family – has become rich under Putin’s rule.
He was a key figure in the construction of a bridge linking Crimea to the Russian mainland after Putin used his military to annex the peninsula in 2014.
He and his brother Boris, 67, worth £1.10billion, are reported to have their own adjoining palaces near Moscow.
Sources inside the group say Subbotin died during a mission combat
AFP
East2WestWho are the Española group?
The Española batallion is a military unit that has fought in some of the most intense battles of the Ukraine war.
The group’s leader is 41-year-old Orlov Stanislav – dubbed “The Spaniard” – a die-hard CSKA fan who is said to have fought Donbas in 2014.
The group was officially granted the status of a private military company (PMC) last month.
It gradually started to form since the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
The group – previously associated with the militant group Vostok Battalion – was operating mainly in the Russian-held region of Donetsk.
As it became more popular the battalion ended up fighting in major battles, including in Mariupol, Bakhmut, Soledar, and Vuhledar.
The unit recruits football thugs, particularly those closer to the Nazi ideology, as well as civilians from poor parts of Russia and occupied territories.
Volunteers are offered a salary of £1,900 a month for at least six months at the frontline, according to Ukrainian intelligence.
Russia is also using “insurance payments” to lure civilians into battle – that can vary from £8,700 to £43,500 depending on the severity of the injury.
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