In this case, the score given by Microsoft Azure was 0.71723.įace comparison with Microsoft Azure revealed that the confidence score that this is the same person is very high (0.71723). A score above 0.7 suggests with high reliability that it is the same person. This software allows to compare two photos and give a confidence rating of how likely it is that the two faces belong to the same person. In order to check if the person in the photo is really Utkin, an old passport photo of him was used with Microsoft Azure face recognition software. ( this photo surfaced, some concerns online were expressed about the person in the photo. All three of these tattoos are symbols found Waffen-SS military uniforms, which was the military branch of the Nazi Party’s SS organization.ĭmitry Utkin’s photo with Nazi tattoos (Waffen SS collar tabs and a Reichsadler Eagle). Lower on the chest, a Reichsadler Eagle, can be seen. Taking a closer look at the photos, Nazi collar tabs with Waffen SS bolts on the left and military rank on the right can be identified. The photo originally surfaced on Russian VK accounts and a Telegram group affiliated with the mercenaries, but received interest by media outlets just recently. For those who been following Wagner group for some time this photos was not surprising, as his and a lot of Wagner fighters’ ideological inclinations were already known. (, photo recently surfaced of Utkin with Nazi tattoos, giving additional proof of his ideological leanings. Photo of Utkin, back when he was serving in the Russian military in Dagestan in August 1999 (bottom). Russian President Vladimir Putin with members of the Wagner Group of mercenaries and Utkin (top). At the event he was awarded with the Order for Courage, allegedly for his services in Ukraine. This event was attended by more than 300 soldiers and civilians, who have “demonstrated particular courage and heroism” and were personally thanked for their service by Putin himself. In 2016, Utkin was invited at a Hero of the Fatherland reception in the Kremlin, where he was photographed wearing his medals. In 2013 he joined the Moran Security Group and in 2014 he established the Wagner Group, named after his nom de guerre his old callsign “Wagner.” He served in the GRU until 2013, after which he commanded a Spetsnaz unit, earning the rank of a lieutenant colonel. Utkin is the veteran of both Chechen wars and has participated in the Russian operations in Ukraine in 2014. It has not been verified if Utkin established the group himself, or was a front man for someone else. Dmitry Utkin (Wagner)ĭmitry Utkin is the founder of the infamous Wagner mercenary group. This article analyses some of the available open source evidence, shedding light on Russian mercenaries’ extreme ideology. Russian President Putin has called Ukraine a fascist country numerous times, yet the numerous mercenaries who went to fight in Donbas, Syria and Libya are neo-nazis themselves. The slogan “to fight fascism” was one of the rallying points inviting Russian volunteers to fight in Donbas against “Ukrainian Fascists”. This type of ideology espoused by Russian mercenaries remains anathema in a country where millions died fighting Nazis during World War II. Even more, the type of far-right ideology expressed in Russian mercenaries is showing homage to Nazi ideology. This is an increasingly common problem in Russia as well. Instances of far-right leanings among some members of the armed forces is not unheard of in many other parts of the world, including Europe and North America. Torture and war crimes seem to be not the only dark side of these militant groups as open source evidence reveals some of the fighters following far-right, neo-Nazi ideologies. Russian mercenaries are becoming an increasingly hot topic as traces of their activities can be found in conflicts around the world. For the past several years he has focused on Russian involvement in Ukraine, Syria, Libya and Venezuela. Lukas Andriukaitis is an open source researcher and trainer, focusing on Kremlin disinformation and military involvement in conflicts around the globe. This research is done by Lukas Andriukaitis exclusively for Res Publica – Civic Resilience Center.
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