Fakel was founded in 2023 by the Russian state-run gas monopoly
Gazprom subsidiary
Gazprom Neft, as a more loyal alternative for the
Wagner Group, which at the time had just begun clashing with Russian high command on issues of supplies and tactics. The group was founded alongside two other Gazprom PMCs,
Plamya and
Potok. Fakel and Plamya reportedly are directly subordinate to the
Russian Ministry of Defence, while Potok joined
Redut PMC, a PMC which is also controlled by the Russian MoD. Fakel, and the other
Gazprom run companies, have their recruiting base as Gazprom employees, promising them that while they are away on tour in Ukraine, that their positions at work would be guaranteed for their return. A large contingent of the fighters are from Gazprom's security guards. Fakel is also the name of a bi-annual Gazprom corporate talent competition, a big festival in which teams of musical performers of all ages compete for prizes, with the logo for the competition being very similar to the logo used by the PMC. Fakel is also the name of the company's semi-professional
table tennis team. Although the company has no official political affiliation, several of its members support the
Pravaya Rossiya far-right party led by
Georg Borovikov seeking the restoration of the
Russian Empire, which has stated that they are one of Fakel's patrons. Additional, several members of the company on
Telegram stated they were fighting to restore the Empire.
Yevgeny Prigozhin was critical of Fakel, seeing the organization as competition for his Wagner group. Prigozhin claims that Fakel saw combat in the
Battle of Bakhmut, where they were tasked with covering Wagner's flanks, and failed to do so resulting in a successful Ukrainian flanking maneuver that resulted in a large amount of Wagner casualties. Prigozhin claimed the unit had poor training and supplies, and a lack of any "tactical-level commanders." The unit has also seen combat in the
Battle of Soledar. ==See also==