November 7th 2024.
The members of Espanola, a Russian group fighting for Vladimir Putin in Ukraine, are recruited through social media platforms like Telegram and VK. They can be identified by their Nazi insignia and tattoos of the group's name written in cursive, accompanied by a gun. This group, made up of a mix of former convicts and ex-Wagner mercenaries, was formed in 2022 and has since grown in numbers due to increased recruitment efforts.
In 2023, Espanola came under the control of the Russian Ministry of Defense's private military company, Redut. This rise in power has led to the UK issuing sanctions against the group and their leader, Stanislav Orlov. The Metro has released an informative piece about Espanola and the implications of these sanctions.
Interestingly, Espanola has recently started recruiting female members as well. But who exactly are the members of this notorious group? According to a report by private intelligence firm Grey Dynamics, Espanola's origins can be traced back to before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The report also mentions how Putin's regime tried to crack down on Russian hooligans and ultras between 2014 and 2015, leading many of them to travel to Ukraine to join the fighting.
Espanola boasts members from various football clubs in Russia, including CSKA, Zenit, Spartak, Torpedo, and Lokomotiv, as well as the infamous Orel Butchers. One of their leaders, Orlov, was a CSKA fan and a member of the Red-Blue Warriors ultras group before becoming the leader of Espanola. He earned the nickname "Spaniard" for his language skills while fighting alongside pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine.
In 2023, Orlov formed Espanola, naming it after his nickname. Their logo features the word "Espanola" in white cursive text, with a Soviet Tokarev semi-automatic pistol on a black background. The group primarily recruits through social media, targeting not only football ultras but also neo-Nazis and far-right individuals. One notable member is Mikhail Turnakov, a former MMA fighter with visible swastika tattoos, who is often featured in Espanola's promotional material.
According to Grey Dynamics, Espanola pays its fighters 220,000 rubles a month and requires a minimum of six months of service after training. These fighters have been added to the UK's sanctions list, along with Orlov and six other individuals with ties to private mercenary groups linked to the Kremlin. Their assets have been frozen, and they are banned from traveling. These measures, according to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, aim to push back against Russia's disruptive foreign policies and disrupt the supply of equipment for Putin's war machine.
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