THE UK has sanctioned Vladimir Putin’s ‘Española’ private army of Nazi football hooligans fighting in Ukraine.

The blood-thirsty military group consists of some of Russia’s most hardened thugs and has fought in some of the most intense battles of the war.

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The hooligan force, which fights alongside Russian army troops is led by ruthless Orlov Stanislav – known as “The Spaniard.”

The unit recruits football thugs, Nazi sympathisers as well as civilians from poor parts of Russia and occupied territories.

The military unit is among a swathe of new sanctions announced today by the UK.

A statement said: “The UK announces 56 new sanctions in its largest sanctions package against Russia since May 2023.

“Today’s action disrupts the supply of vital equipment for Putin’s war machine and bears down on Russian malign activity globally, exposing the corrupt activities of Russian proxy military groups in Africa.”

Foreign Secretary, David Lammy said: “Today’s measures will continue to push back on the Kremlin’s corrosive foreign policy, undermining Russia’s attempts to foster instability across Africa and disrupting the supply of vital equipment for Putin’s war machine.”

“Putin is nearly 1,000 days into a war he thought would only take a few.

“He will fail and I will continue to bear down on the Kremlin and support the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom.”

The group recruits some of Russia’s most radical football thugs after promising them a “decent reward” for going to the frontline.

One recruitment drive told hooligans: “Get into the coolest adventures of your life with a real chance to come back alive from these scrapes.”

It has advertised for “stormtroopers”, scout-saboteurs, snipers, drone operators, electronic warfare and air defence operators, portable ground reconnaissance station operators, anti-tank guided missile operators, anti aircraft specialists, communications specialists, mechanic-drivers, and medics.

Would-be fighters are told they will “take a quick but deep course of study in all directions with a real opportunity – or rather the need – to become a ‘universal soldier’.”

They will “become a real military man and benefit the Motherland without delay”.

The stadium fighters will “get access and learn how to work with the most modern weapons, equipment and technologies.”

Sniper detachments “are provided with all the most advanced technologies — this applies to transport, equipment, and of course [guns].”

Recruits are told they “may not be hooligans, but they should be close to us in spirit and comply with the main principles of Española in life”.

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Six years ago, Putin’s regime desperately sought to crackdown on Russian hooligans and ultras – using an FSB crackdown to stop them ruining the FIFA World Cup which the dictator hosted.

In 2016, Russian hooligans were in notorious pitch battles with English fans at the UEFA Euro tournament in France.

Now they are formalised as an armed force, and seen as heroes.

They boast recruits from the hooligan armies of clubs like CSKA, Zenit, Spartak, Torpedo and Lokomotiv and the notorious Orel Butchers.

It gained popularity following the invasion of Ukraine and ended up fighting in major battles including in Mariupol, Bakhmut, Soledar, and Vuhledar.

The force has branched out and also recruits women to fight in Putin’s war, training them as snipers.

Lucas Webber, co-founder of the Militant Wire research network, previously told The Sun, the unit had “hundreds” of fighters and “operates with some degree of independence” from the Russian Armed Forces.

He said: “Española plays an important role in its outreach to Russia’s ultra/hooligan communities and in drawing recruits and support from these population segments for the war in Ukraine.

“Española appeals to a unique subset of Russia’s far-right militarist ecosystem and is distinct from the neo-Nazi Rusich organisation and the hard-line Orthodox Russian Imperialist Movement.

“Española is a volunteer brigade that operates with some degree of independence from the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

“The group has historical ties to the Donetsk People’s Republic forces and has hundreds of fighters.

“Its propaganda describes how it is multifaceted and has artillery, anti-aircraft weapons, sniper teams, drone operators, and more.”

Among those sanctioned, there were other Russian private armies – including Putin’s Africa Corps and the so-called Bears Brigade.

They include members of the former Wagner private army, headed by Yevgeny Prigozhin, killed last year in a suspected Kremlin-authorised killing.

Sanctioned, too, was a GRU military intelligence agent linked to the Salisbury poisonings with nerve agent Novichok, Denis Sergeev, who used the alias Sergey Fedotov in Britain.

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