Dmitrii Rogozin, ex-head of «Roskosmos» and so-called «senator» 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 «Tsar Wolves», PMC «Bears» (previously provided security services in Burkina Faso), network of drone centers «Archangel» and soldiers of former PMC «Wagner» joined the unit. The Center for Journalist Investigations covered some of them in our investigative materials.
Dmitrii Rogozin told at the end of August 2024 that General Staff of the Russian Ministry of Defense issued directive about creation of «first in Russia voluntary squad of robotized electronic complexes and systems». It is subordinated to the Russian Airborne Troops within the Army Group «Dnepr» and registered as unit called «BARS-37». Its self-name is «Sarmat» (it is a call sign of Dmitrii Rogozin).
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 «field engineering bureau». 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.
Previous Rogozin’s projects
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 «Roskosmos», Rogozin with his assistants visited temporary occupied territories of Donbas. He reported that «technical group of military advisors» under his supervision tested «smart sight» 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 «Tsar Wolves» last year (see part 1, part 2).
Aleksei Rogozin, the son of Dmitrii Rogozin, has been the main advisor of «Military Technical Center «Tsar Wolves». Headed by him autonomous non-commercial organization «Center for Development of Transport Technologies» possesses two patents (intellectual property rights) on trade mark «Tsar Wolves». It can be used to mark equipment, weapons, explosives and shells. Rogozin-junior has headed consultation council of company «Ekolibri» producing air equipment, including heavy drones and electrical vertical take-off aircraft.
Aleksei Rogozin, advisor of Military Technical Center «Tsar Wolves». Photo: RIA Novosti
Combat wing of «Tsar Wolves» included four squads of BARS with numbers 1 (named after otaman Zakharii Chepiga), 2 («Motherland»), 10 and 11 («Cuban»). Squads 1 and 11 have been simultaneously within voluntary Cossack brigade «Cuban», created by so-called «Cuban Cossack Troops». Last year they were subordinated to the Russian 58th Army, fighting in Zaporizhzhia region. They suffered heavy losses in combats near Tokmak, Verbove and Robotyne. Media reports about their connection with «Tsar Wolves» have gradually disappeared.
It is remarkable that Reserve Colonel Artur Batsev (call sign «Piton»), former commander of other Cossack units and brigade «Tsar Wolves», and current commander of BARS-11 Colonel Sergei Schevchenko (call sign «Yamaha») have mentioned neither Dmitrii Rogozin, nor Tsar Wolves» in their last interviews.
It looks strange as Rogozin awarded commanders of his «brigades» and «battalions» with a lot of orders and medals, and heavily promoted in Russian federal media.
We conclude that Russian Ministry of Defense took away BARS units from Rogozin and strictly subordinated them to the commandment of the Russian 58th Army. «Voluntary attack brigade «Tsar Wolves» does not exist anymore.
In September 2024, Russian media reported about «Tsar Wolves» only one time, in relation to research and development center which participated in a conference of Russian drone producers «Dronnitsa-2024».
«Senator» 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 «Tsar Wolves».
Research and development center
As Rogozin says, R&D center is the network of laboratories for drones and means of radio electronic warfare, employing IT specialists and engineers.
Soldiers of BARS-37 «Sarmat» in occupied Southern Ukraine. Photo: website of the unit
«The 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», as writes Rogozin.
New Rogozin’s Center inherited «intellectual drone «Storm» from similar center of «Tsar Wolves». In September 2024, this drone was demonstrated at All-Russian conference of drone operators «Dronnitsia-2024». As reported, this «high precision attack complex for air and land targets with 3 kg load or net» was manufactured by Russian LLC «Todiz». It has been part of R&D center of «Tsar Wolves».
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 has been the only owner of LLC «Todiz» based in Moscow.
Before 2019, she has worked at «Voronezh Aircraft Manufacturing Factory». This factory has been managed by «Avia Complex Named After Illushin». Aleksei Rogozin has been general director of «Avia Complex» during this period.
Maria Opalenko, co-founder of LLC «Todiz» with her husband Vladimir after receiving an award of «Union of Young Engineers «Teknhospetsnaz». 2021. Photo: Instagram
In 2023, Maria Opalenko worked in «Ekolibri». Since July 2024, she has been head of commercial service of LLC «Ekolibri-BT», in accordance with information the CJI received from community KibOrg. As we wrote above, consultation council of «Ekolibri» has been headed by Rogozin-junior.
It is interesting that on the eve of conference «Dronnitsia-2024» LLC «Todiz» received new director and co-founder with 70% of shares. He is 40 years old Ukrainian citizen Koshelnyk Dmytro Volodymyrovych. 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.
From left to right: Dmytro Koshelnyk, director and founder of LLC «Todiz», Igor Sevalkin, general director of JSC «NEI» and blogger Konstantin Pogodin, 2018. Photo: myrotvorets.center
According to the database of Center «Myrotvorets», 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 «EirSoft» tried to launch software for payments without bank terminals.
Representative of «Todiz» with call sign «Archangel» told journalist of TASS about technical characteristics of «Storm» drone. We believe that his real name is Mikhail Filippov with a call sign «Archangel». In October 2024, project «Archangel» (a network of training schools of drone operators) joined BARS-«Sarmat». The CJI published an investigation about project «Archangel» and Mikhail Filippov at the beginning of 2024.
From left to right: Mikhail Filippov, founder of project «Archangel», Dmitrii Rogozin, commander of BARS-37, and Ilia Noskov, supervisor of Center for assistance to Russian troops «ZOV-AA» agreed to launch pilot group on anti-drone protection of critical infrastructure in Tatarstan. Photo: Telegram 2024
Since the beginning of 2024, project «Archangel» has opened its center in Genichesk. Local LLC «Archangel» was founded by Russian citizen Valeria Valinkevich from Krasnodarsky krai. She graduated from drone school of «Archangel» in Melitopol.
Crimean office of «Archangel», so-called Center of competencies «Crimean drone», conducts tests of its products under the support of BARS-«Sarmat». Investigation of the CJI identified its director. He is Vitalii Romanov, Simferopol resident, with call sign «Yevpatoria».
Vitalii Romanov, supervisor of network «Archangel» and founder of center «Crimean Drone», 2024. Photo: Radio «Krym»
Last week Russian federal and regional media published a series of news about successful test of new drone with flame thrower «Gorynych 2.0». It is supposed to target drones with «Starlink» and fiber optic cable, communication networks with fiber optic cables, and to demine.
«Our Crimean specialists have developed model «Gorynych 2.0.» 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», as told Romanov.
Dmitrii Rogozin applies his personal connections in Russian military industrial complex to involve specialists into cooperation with BARS-«Sarmat». At the end of November 2024, Yuri Majevsky, General Designer of radio electronic warfare systems and Deputy General Director of «Corporation of Radio Electronic Technologies» (it is a part of «Rostex»), visited «Sarmat» at the frontline. Specialists of «Sarmat» showed him examples of Ukrainian means of radio electronic warfare, Russian means of «trench» radio electronic warfare. They also «evaluated Russian means of radio electronic warfare, supplied to the frontline».
Dmitrii Rogozin, commander of BARS-37, and Yuri Majevsky, Deputy General Director of «Corporation of Radio Electronic Technologies», agreed on cooperation in production of means of radio electronic warfare. November 2024. Photo: Telegram БАРС-«Сармат»
As Rogozin commented, «Majevsky heard about many things for the first time and we agreed about more regular and close relationship between the front and military science».
Combat wing of BARS-37: remnants of voluntary battalions, mercenaries and corrupted officials
The majority of announcements of BARS-37 about vacancies include specialists for R&D Center: IP specialists, engineers, trainers of drone operators, operators of air, land and water drones etc. The squad promises not to send them to trenches or assault attacks. Upon the end of yearly contract, the squad promises that they will be employed by the Russian enterprises of military industrial complex.
Some employees of the Center have to perform close to combat tasks: guarding objects, transporting cargo, securing testing of products under combat conditions.
It was surprising that mercenaries of so-called «the 81st special purpose brigade «Bears» have joined BARS-37. It is part of PMC «Redut», subordinated to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. The CJI uncovered their connections in its investigation «Bears are on Stage. In Crimea Main Intelligence Directorate Creates Units for War in Ukraine and Africa» (videoversion).
Vitalii Yermolaev («Jedi»), commander of PMC «Bears», and Dmitrii Rogozin («Sarmat»), commander of BARS-37. Photo: social media
Since its creation in March 2023, units of PMC «Bears», headed by experienced mercenary Vitalii Yermolaev (call sign «Jedi»), were located and trained at training grounds near Perevalne village in Crimea. They fought in Kherson region (Oleshky, Krynky) and stayed at Tarkhankut. After the smash of PMC «Wagner», in autumn 2023, the Russian General Staff replaced its mercenaries in Africa by expedition unit «Bear». One hundred of «bears» supported regime of dictator Ibrahim Traore in Burkina Faso. In August 2024, «Bear» came back – supposedly, in connection with Kursk operation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In November 2024, «Jedi» joined Rogozin’s BARS squad.
Rogozin agreed that remnants of «voluntary battalions» would «preserve their flags» and names within his squad, but in addition to name «Sarmat». As Rogozin wrote, his squad included mercenaries, volunteers and engineers of various units by the middle of November 2024: «Tsar Wolves», «Wagner», «Bears» project «Archangel», newly created unit «Night Witches 2.0» etc.
In order to receive beneficial orders for the testing of new weapons, Dmitrii Rogozin promotes his squad in leading enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex. For example, specialists of concern «Kalashnikov» train drone operators for BARS-37, though, Rogozin’s squad has a network of training schools for drone operators «Archangel» (there are three schools in Crimea). In October 2024, it was reported that first operators were trained by «Kalashnikov». In November 2024, it was reported that «first drone unit» was prepared. They were trained to work with drones of «Kalashnikov» during three weeks. The following drones have been used in the war against Ukraine: drone «Kub», intelligence drones «Granat-4» and «Skat 350 M», mini-drones «Goliath» and «Karakurt». It is clear that these drones will be also used by BARS-37.
It is unknown how many units of drone operators will be within BARS-37. Now Russian media promote female unit «Night Witches 2.0». It has been headed by Yulia Vasilevna Gubanova, implicated into numerous corruption scandals in Sevastopol and Zaporizhzhia region, occupied by Russia.
Unit «Night Witches 2.9» of unit BARS-«Sarmat», headed by Yulia Gubanova (second to the left). 2024. Photo: social media
She was born in Saratov region and had business in Moscow. JSC «Sevastopolstroiproect», headed by Gubanova, won a number of lucrative bids on construction and repairing works from Russian occupation authorities of the city. As a rule, they were performed by sub-contractors whereas Gubanova’s company played the role of an intermediary. Her activity was «supervised» by Mikhail Razvozhaev, Russian «head of Sevastopol». Under his support, Gubanova received two ministerial positions of construction and transport in Russian occupation government of occupied Zaporizhzhia region.
In April 2023, the car of Russian occupation «head» of Yakymivka raion Maksym Zubarev was exploded in Melitopol. Gubanova was appointed as new «head» of Yakymivka raion. It seems that she left her ministerial positions because she would like to avoid responsibility for her corruption schemes.
The same desire could have driven her participation in the Russian «special military operation» in the squad managed by her old friend.
Yulia Gubanova has known Dmitrii Rogozin for some time. Before November 2022, Gubanova has been founder of Moscow LLC «Stroitelnaia kompania «Komandiry». After she left Moscow for Zaporizhzhia, this company was re-registered for Natalia Nikolaevna Maidanova, wife of Denis Maidanov, member of Russian State Duma and propagandist singer. He sings «patriotic» song «Sarmatushka». Lyrics for the song were written by Dmitrii Rogozin…
