INTERVIEW: From Debaltseve to Mars - Reverse Side of the Medal

The Russian-language Telegram channel "Reverse Side of the Medal" (RSOTM) is no longer just an information source about international conflicts. It now publishes local news, interviews with combatants – focusing on Russia's most mysterious military formation, the so-called "Wagner Group".

Unlike other similar Telegram channels, Reverse Side of the Medal has evolved into a movement with its own ideas and culture. The founder of the mercenary community Reverse Side of the Medal hides his identity and presents himself as "Admin." It is known that he served in the Russian army, was active in several conflict zones – including volunteering in Ukraine and Syria – and refers to himself as a "freelancer."

SPARTANAT exclusively presents the interview with the founder of Reverse Side of the Medal:

COMBAT EXPERIENCE

SPARTANAT: You are a war veteran. In which conflicts have you participated?

ADMIN: Like every Russian citizen at the age of 18, I was conscripted into the army (Russia still has conscription). I began my service in the Special Forces of the Internal Troops. I went to war for the first time when the Republic of Dagestan was raided by Basayev and Khattab with their units. These events continued in the Second Chechen War. I served from 1998 to 2000. I am a combat veteran. After my service in the Special Forces of the Internal Troops, I joined the Police Special Forces SOBR and served there until 2012.

SPARTANAT: Why did you later go to Ukraine as a non-soldier when the crisis began?

ADMIN: As I mentioned, I was discharged from the SOBR ranks, but at the same time, I felt that the art of war still attracted me. And fate gave me another reason to do what I do best – to fight. The fighting started in eastern Ukraine, where the majority of people identify as Russians: they are mentally Russian, they speak Russian and write in Russian, they think in Russian, and live in Russian culture.

Seeing how the Ukrainian armed forces were carrying out criminal orders from the country's military leadership and many uncontrolled, so-called "volunteer battalions" were openly planning ethnic cleansing of the pro-Russian population – when I saw all that, I simply couldn't stay at home and watch it on TV, or read daily reports on the internet.

IN THE WAR IN UKRAINE

SPARTANAT: Today, February 18, is the sixth anniversary of the end of the famous Operation in Debaltseve in the Donbass War, in which you participated...

ADMIN: What happened there began when I was just an ordinary fighter. No one from the staff offices invited me, I couldn't know the intentions of the military leadership. At that time, there were fierce battles for Donetsk Airport, and fighters of the ORB "Sparta" managed to capture the new airport terminal. Further offensives were undertaken on the same front sector, but they were unsuccessful. The Donetsk Militia forces managed to encircle a large group of enemy forces around Donetsk Airport, diverting the enemy's attention to this sector. Immediately afterwards, an offensive operation began on Debaltseve, which ended with the victory of irregular units (Donbass Defense Forces) over the regular army (Ukraine).

SPARTANAT: What was the role of Russians in this operation? Were Russian soldiers involved, as many sources claim?

ADMIN: Personally, I did not encounter any active Russian military personnel there. Yes, there were some fighters who had recently been active in the ranks of the Russian armed forces or other security forces, but after prematurely terminating their contracts, they went as volunteers to the Donbass. As far as I know, more than 10,000 Russian citizens went to war against the Ukrainian armed forces due to the conflict in the Donbass. Since very few of the local militiamen had combat experience, the help of Russian volunteers who had already been through more than one local military conflict was very useful. I would like to point out that among those who went to the Donbass, there were even those who had not completed their military service. However, the main backbone of the defense forces of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics were Russian volunteers who were already veterans at that time.

SPARTANAT: How will events in Ukraine develop further?

ADMIN: In my opinion, the solution to the conflict must be political!

RUSSIAN MARTIANS

SPARTANAT: Your movement is gaining popularity in Russia and abroad. Where does this high interest come from?

ADMIN: There is still a great need for information about these events. RSOTM fills this gap. In addition, there is a certain level of secrecy that is very appealing to many visitors. By the way, we (Russian freelancers) sometimes call ourselves "Martians" because the battles in the Arabian deserts resemble fights on the surface of Mars. And so, some actually believe in Martians, some do not (laughs). But everyone is curious: do these Martians really exist? And now these Martians are returning from a place where unfortunately many others could not return.

This reminds many younger Russians of a song by the Russian singer Ivan Alekseev – "It's cool on Mars":

"They were like us, of course not in everything, but still

Without any jaded exoticism.

The same shape of ears, the same length of fingers and

They were just as afraid of dying as you and I."

But there is also a great interest from foreigners in our work and therefore in RSOTM. Among them are not only active soldiers, but also analysts.

In addition, there are those who are interested in the topic of "Russian freelancers" in general. After all, the idea is not the same as in other countries. In our country, there is a saying: "Russia cannot be understood with reason". Therefore, foreign readers watch RSOTM with great interest, as if they were trying a new traditional cuisine in a foreign country. And war is a traditional cuisine for Russians. And we are the chefs.

SPARTANAT: When and why did you switch from war to a peaceful life?

ADMIN: When you risk your life, and do it relatively often, health problems arise sooner or later, and they have also occurred with me.

THE IDEOLOGY BEHIND RSOTM

SPARTANAT: In the West, you would quickly be accused of "romanticizing" a commercial and bloody mercenary activity...

ADMIN: First of all: We do not romanticize the war. On the contrary, we have always said that war is not a knightly tournament. Ultimately, it is always about killing in order not to be killed yourself.  

We call ourselves with our Telegram channel "The other side of the medal", we show the war as it is. There is not much of what young people who find war romantic expect. But there is the actual other side of the medal, when in war you betray your comrades, when you shoot in the back, or kill civilians. Some things happen accidentally, some intentionally, and some are even coerced. And yes, it is all bad.

And regarding the topic of "mercenary activity": We have never seen ourselves as mercenaries. How does the regular Russian contract army differ from us? And it is alleged that we fight for money. Here I say: Dear friends, these salaries are not as high as some might think. We carry out tasks solely in the interest of Russia and its national security strategy. We are not the ones who will receive twice as many commendations from the enemy tomorrow and fight for the other side. Furthermore, the other, the opposing side, is already offering more pay, but people still flock to us. Many volunteers who come to us cannot serve in the regular military for this or that reason. But they feel the duty to their homeland. And we will go wherever in the world our homeland needs us and will need us.

SPARTANAT: Thank you for the interview.

REVERSE SIDE OF THE MEDAL on Telegram: t.me/grey_zone

REVERSE SIDE OF THE MEDAL on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rsotm