{"id":272070,"date":"2024-12-06T09:51:45","date_gmt":"2024-12-06T07:51:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/investigator.org.ua\/?p=272070"},"modified":"2025-01-15T15:48:40","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T13:48:40","slug":"senator-rogozin-sobral-nedobitki-chvk-medvedi-czarskie-volki-vagner-i-proekta-arhangel-v-novyj-otryad-bars-sarmat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/investigator.org.ua\/en\/investigations\/272070\/","title":{"rendered":"Russian \u00abSenator\u00bb Rogozin Combined Remnants of PMC Bears, Tsar Wolves, Wagner and Archangel project into New Squad BARS-Sarmat"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Dmitrii Rogozin, ex-head of \u00abRoskosmos\u00bb and so-called \u00absenator\u00bb from occupied part of Zaporizhzhia region, creates new voluntary unit of robotized systems and complexes. It will test new Russian weapons at the frontline. The recruitment still goes on. In October 2024, remnants of brigade \u00abTsar Wolves\u00bb, PMC \u00abBears\u00bb (previously provided security services in Burkina Faso), network of drone centers \u00abArchangel\u00bb and soldiers of former PMC \u00abWagner\u00bb joined the unit. The Center for Journalist Investigations covered some of them in our investigative materials. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Dmitrii Rogozin told at the end of August 2024 that General Staff of the Russian Ministry of Defense issued directive about creation of \u00abfirst in Russia voluntary squad of robotized electronic complexes and systems\u00bb. It is subordinated to the Russian Airborne Troops within the Army Group \u00abDnepr\u00bb and registered as unit called \u00abBARS-37\u00bb. Its self-name is \u00abSarmat\u00bb (it is a call sign of Dmitrii Rogozin).<\/p>\n

The main task of the new unit is to test and pilot new weapons and equipment under real combat conditions. It is supposed to be \u00abfield engineering bureau\u00bb. It is also aimed at developing and manufacturing its own types of weapons and equipment, training drone operators and seizing Western weapons, operated by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to study and steal innovative technologies.<\/p>\n

Previous Rogozin\u2019s projects <\/strong><\/p>\n

It is not the first attempt of Rogozin to organize technical center with the same tasks near the frontline. In autumn 2022, after his dismissal from the position of the head of \u00abRoskosmos\u00bb, Rogozin with his assistants visited temporary occupied territories of Donbas. He reported that \u00abtechnical group of military advisors\u00bb under his supervision tested \u00absmart sight\u00bb of mortar. Later he succeeded in creating technical centers for testing new weapons (mostly, drones and means of radio electronic warfare) in Moscow, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. The CJI uncovered this activity in its investigation of so-called voluntary attack brigade \u00abTsar Wolves\u00bb last year (see part 1<\/a>, part 2<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Aleksei Rogozin<\/strong>, the son of Dmitrii Rogozin, has been the main advisor of \u00abMilitary Technical Center \u00abTsar Wolves\u00bb. Headed by him autonomous non-commercial organization \u00abCenter for Development of Transport Technologies\u00bb possesses two patents (intellectual property rights) on trade mark \u00abTsar Wolves\u00bb.\u00a0 It can be used to mark equipment, weapons, explosives and shells. Rogozin-junior has headed consultation council of company \u00abEkolibri\u00bb producing air equipment, including heavy drones and electrical vertical take-off aircraft.<\/p>\n

\"\u00a0\u0410\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0454\u0439<\/a>

Aleksei Rogozin, advisor of Military Technical Center \u00abTsar Wolves\u00bb. Photo: RIA Novosti<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Combat wing of \u00abTsar Wolves\u00bb included four squads of BARS with numbers 1 (named after otaman Zakharii Chepiga), 2 (\u00abMotherland\u00bb), 10 and 11 (\u00abCuban\u00bb). Squads 1 and 11 have been simultaneously within voluntary Cossack brigade \u00abCuban\u00bb, created by so-called \u00abCuban Cossack Troops\u00bb. Last year they were subordinated to the Russian 58th<\/sup> Army, fighting in Zaporizhzhia region. They suffered heavy losses in combats near Tokmak, Verbove and Robotyne. Media reports about their connection with \u00abTsar Wolves\u00bb have gradually disappeared.<\/p>\n

It is remarkable that Reserve Colonel Artur Batsev (call sign \u00abPiton\u00bb), former commander of other Cossack units and brigade \u00abTsar Wolves\u00bb, and current commander of BARS-11 Colonel Sergei Schevchenko (call sign \u00abYamaha\u00bb) have mentioned neither Dmitrii Rogozin, nor Tsar Wolves\u00bb in their last interviews.<\/p>\n

It looks strange as Rogozin awarded commanders of his \u00abbrigades\u00bb and \u00abbattalions\u00bb with a lot of orders and medals, and heavily promoted in Russian federal media.<\/p>\n

We conclude that Russian Ministry of Defense took away BARS units from Rogozin and strictly subordinated them to the commandment of the Russian 58th<\/sup> Army. \u00abVoluntary attack brigade \u00abTsar Wolves\u00bb does not exist anymore. <\/strong><\/p>\n

In September 2024, Russian media reported about \u00abTsar Wolves\u00bb only one time, in relation to research and development center which participated in a conference of Russian drone producers \u00abDronnitsa-2024\u00bb.<\/p>\n

\u00abSenator\u00bb Dmitrii Rogozin prolonged his contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense for one year. His new military project includes R&D center and combat wing. This wing includes drone operators, trainers and solders. It means that BARS-37 inherited its structure from \u00abTsar Wolves\u00bb.<\/p>\n

Research and development center <\/strong><\/p>\n

As Rogozin says, R&D center is the network of laboratories for drones and means of radio electronic warfare, employing IT specialists and engineers.<\/p>\n

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Soldiers of BARS-37 \u00abSarmat\u00bb in occupied Southern Ukraine. Photo: website of the unit<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

\u00abThe Center has direct access to all testing grounds and possibilities to test its products at the frontline, under combat conditions. The testing is conducted by soldiers of the squad in cooperation with Airborne Troops. After combat testing, a technical conclusion about product or technology is prepared for the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Then, these ministries make their decisions\u00bb, as writes Rogozin.<\/p>\n

New Rogozin\u2019s Center inherited \u00abintellectual drone \u00abStorm\u00bb from similar center of \u00abTsar Wolves\u00bb. In September 2024, this drone was demonstrated at All-Russian conference of drone operators \u00abDronnitsia-2024\u00bb. As reported, this \u00abhigh precision attack complex for air and land targets with 3 kg load or net\u00bb was manufactured by Russian LLC \u00abTodiz\u00bb. It has been part of R&D center of \u00abTsar Wolves\u00bb.<\/p>\n

It is a rare case when developer \\ producer of new weapons is openly named in mass media. Since November 2023, 34 years old Opalenko Maria Alekseevna<\/strong> has been the only owner of LLC \u00abTodiz\u00bb<\/a> based in Moscow.<\/p>\n

Before 2019, she has worked at \u00abVoronezh Aircraft Manufacturing Factory\u00bb. This factory has been managed by \u00abAvia Complex Named After Illushin\u00bb. Aleksei Rogozin has been general director of \u00abAvia Complex\u00bb during this period.<\/p>\n

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Maria Opalenko, co-founder of LLC \u00abTodiz\u00bb with her husband Vladimir after receiving an award of \u00abUnion of Young Engineers \u00abTeknhospetsnaz\u00bb. 2021. Photo: Instagram<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

In 2023, Maria Opalenko worked in \u00abEkolibri\u00bb. Since July 2024, she has been head of commercial service of LLC \u00abEkolibri-BT\u00bb, in accordance with information the CJI received from community KibOrg<\/a>. As we wrote above, consultation council of \u00abEkolibri\u00bb has been headed by Rogozin-junior.<\/p>\n

It is interesting that on the eve of conference \u00abDronnitsia-2024\u00bb LLC \u00abTodiz\u00bb received new director and co-founder with 70% of shares. He is 40 years old Ukrainian citizen Koshelnyk Dmytro Volodymyrovych<\/strong>. He was born in Armiansk (city in Crimea) and resided in Mariupol and Kyiv. In 2016, he received Russian passport in occupied Crimea. He is the founder of other two Moscow companies.<\/p>\n

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From left to right: Dmytro Koshelnyk, director and founder of LLC \u00abTodiz\u00bb, Igor Sevalkin, general director of JSC \u00abNEI\u00bb and blogger Konstantin Pogodin, 2018. Photo: myrotvorets.center<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

According to the database of Center \u00abMyrotvorets\u00bb,<\/u> Dmytro Koshelnyk has been participant of Russian IT forums. In 2018, he promoted his startup of payment system AuraPay. In 2021, he together with RFI Bank and LLC \u00abEirSoft\u00bb tried to launch software for payments without bank terminals.<\/p>\n

Representative of \u00abTodiz\u00bb with call sign \u00abArchangel\u00bb told journalist of TASS about technical characteristics of \u00abStorm\u00bb drone. We believe that his real name is Mikhail Filippov with a call sign \u00abArchangel\u00bb. In October 2024, project \u00abArchangel\u00bb (a network of training schools of drone operators) joined<\/a> BARS-\u00abSarmat\u00bb. The CJI published an investigation<\/a> about project \u00abArchangel\u00bb and Mikhail Filippov at the beginning of 2024.<\/p>\n

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From left to right: Mikhail Filippov, founder of project \u00abArchangel\u00bb, Dmitrii Rogozin, commander of BARS-37, and Ilia Noskov, supervisor of Center for assistance to Russian troops \u00abZOV-AA\u00bb agreed to launch pilot group on anti-drone protection of critical infrastructure in Tatarstan. Photo: Telegram 2024<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Since the beginning of 2024, project \u00abArchangel\u00bb has opened its center in Genichesk. Local LLC \u00abArchangel\u00bb was founded by Russian citizen Valeria Valinkevich<\/a> from Krasnodarsky krai. She graduated from drone school of \u00abArchangel\u00bb in Melitopol.<\/p>\n

Crimean office of \u00abArchangel\u00bb, so-called Center of competencies \u00abCrimean drone\u00bb, conducts tests of its products under the support of BARS-\u00abSarmat\u00bb. Investigation of the CJI identified its director. He is Vitalii Romanov, Simferopol resident, with call sign \u00abYevpatoria\u00bb.<\/p>\n

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Vitalii Romanov, supervisor of network \u00abArchangel\u00bb and founder of center \u00abCrimean Drone\u00bb, 2024. Photo: Radio \u00abKrym\u00bb<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Last week Russian federal and regional media published a series of news about successful test of new drone with flame thrower \u00abGorynych 2.0\u00bb. It is supposed to target drones with \u00abStarlink\u00bb and fiber optic cable, communication networks with fiber optic cables, and to demine.<\/p>\n

\u00abOur Crimean specialists have developed model \u00abGorynych 2.0.\u00bb during several months. Drone throws powerful flame. This flame thrower can be used endlessly. Drones are filled in with various components, depending on their purpose\u00bb, as told Romanov.<\/p>\n