The imagery from Wagner Group was gruesome, but the overall message came straight from the mouth of an American football coach.
In video viewed by Soldier of Fortune, a man whose body has been chewed to shreds, with great chunks of muscle and skin gouged from his frame, sits silently while a camera documents his wounds.
An apparent Wagner Group spokesperson praises the man, while referencing the legendary American football coach, Vince Lombardi.
“The courage of this Warrior is enviable,” a Wagner representative wrote on a messaging channel. “Despite such wounds, he did not scream, did not worry, but simply silently helped the doctors provide assistance.”
The rep wrote in Russian, and the words were translated to English.
Out of respect for the wounded man, Soldier of Fortune will not show the images. Suffice it to say, they are gruesome – and the man’s poise is indeed remarkable.
“Looking at such Warriors, one immediately recalls the words of Vincent Lombardi that God gave us a body that can endure almost anything,” wrote the Wagner rep. “Our task is to convince our minds of this.”
Other Wagner workers have arrived in Crimea from the Central African Republic, according to the group’s rep. Described as “employees,” the men in July held classes for cadets of the Military Training Center in the Republic of Crimea, the rep noted.
The employees are depicted in black tee-shirts, teaching cadets “the tactical basics of medicine,” the rep noted.
In images viewed by Soldier of Fortune, the employees crouch while surrounded by uniformed young men who are sitting on the dirt, along with their packs and weapons. The instructors appear to be demonstrating basic first aid. They are not shown giving inspirational speeches, nor holding American-style football huddles.
The Wagner rep, meanwhile, emphasized that the badly wounded man’s mind has indeed convinced his body that it can endure almost anything, as per Lombardi.
“I think this fighter succeeded,” the rep wrote. “What willpower and courage… Long life to him!”
The rep wished the profoundly wounded man a speedy recovery.
Soldier of Fortune is published by Susan Katz Keating.
