Nazi insignia and tattoos of the name ‘Española’ written in cursive, with a gun next to it – this is how Russia’s ultras fighting for Vladimir Putin in Ukraine can be recognised on the battlefield.

Among the patchwork of convicts and ex-Wagner mercenaries serving in the war is the battalion of armed hooligans recruited from the terraces of football clubs.

Formed in 2022, the ‘Espanola’ or ‘Hispaniola’ group has only grown since the start of the full-scale invasion after stepping up recruitment.

Since the spring of 2023, they have been subordinate to the Russian ministry of defence controlled private military company Redut. 

As a result of their rising dominance, Britain has today sanctioned PMC Espanola and their leader, Stanislav Orlov, to strike at the heart of Putin’s war machine.

Metro has prepared an explainer about the group and what the sanctions mean for them.

Espanola’s origins start before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, private intelligence firm Grey Dynamics says in a report about them.

Between 2014 and 2015, Putin’s regime was desperate to crack down on Russian hooligans and ultras.

Large number of them began travelling to the Donbas in Ukraine as the Russian security services were deployed to stop them from ruining the FIFA World Cup.

Espanola boasts recruits from armies of football clubs like CSKA, Zenit, Spartak, Torpedo and Lokomotiv and the notorious Orel Butchers.

One of them was Orlov, a CSKA fan and a member of the Red-Blue Warriors ultras group – and now the leader of the PMC.

He fought alongside Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas, gaining the nom guerre ‘Spaniard’ for his proficiency in foreign languages.

Recruits must serve for a minimum of six months after training.

What are the sanctions against PMC Espanola?

Foreign secretary David Lammy announced the updates to the list of sanctions, which included the PMC and its commander Orlov.

He is among seven individuals sanctioned because of their connections to private mercenary groups with links to the Kremlin. All their assets have now been frozen and a travel ban imposed. This is also the case for PMC Espanola.

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.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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