Photos and videos of purported American mercenaries on the Donbas front line are now widely circulating across the fringe segment of Runet.
It’s obvious that these materials have long been prepared to be injected into a media space ahead of some major provocation.
Back in December 2021, Russia engaged such a senior official as its defense chief Sergei Shoigu to launch a fake story alleging that members of some American PMCs had deployed in Donbas to carry out a chemical attack.
The thing is that the military shown by Russian propagandists don’t look like experts on chemical arms at all. Besides, the photo shoots involving the relevant props, including gear and ammunition, could be taken pretty much anywhere across the occupied parts of Donetsk or Luhansk region. By the way, not so long ago I posted a large piece that elaborated on a long list of ammunition and foreign-made equipment used by Russian specops forces.
In fact, the Russian special operations troops are equipped more or less in line with NATO standards so there’s no problem for them to stage a shot creating an image of a foreign PMC or SOF presence in Donbas. All they have to do is sport their regular combat gear. But that’s not even the point.
Take note of Photo No. 3.
In that photo you see a man, who Russians claim to be a formidable and brazen “American,” who’s wearing a helmet with a freaky chevron on his helmet, with a skull and two crossed sabers on it – some pirate symbolism designed to sow fear and horror.
But now here’s the most interesting thing… This is in fact the chevron of the Russian SOF, which the Russians have been using since the launch of the official part of their military campaign in Syria.
Mic drop!
However, the show isn’t over yet, it seems. It’s too early to drop mics. After all, if Russia went for such a staging, that’s been clearly prepared well in advance, an act of provocation might follow soon. Once again, I should repeat that it could involve the long-exposed “chemical arms” scenario, with all the ensuing consequences.