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How The US Ended Up Fighting The Russian Wagner Group In 2018
The first clash between Russians and Americans since the Cold War
The United States has been actively trying to avoid going to war with Russia since the end of the Russian Revolution. Decades of careful diplomacy have ensured that American troops never come into direct contact with Russian troops on purpose. Many people believe that any contact between Russian and American armed forces, whether intentional or accidental, could be the spark that ignites World War III. So you might be interested to learn that the United States ended up coming into military contact with Russian mercenaries in Syria as recently as 2018.
On February 7th, 2018, a small army of 500 soldiers launched an attack on the local headquarters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) near the town of Khasham, Syria. The action was a part of the ongoing Syrian Civil War (which was recently resolved.) The attack has been described as unprovoked, and it broke a number of fragile agreements in place regarding the military situation in Syria. The United States and its coalition allies were providing material, air, and artillery support to the Syrian rebels fighting against dictator Bashar al-Assad as a part of Operation Inherent Resolve.
