The Russian "Wet Work" We Could Call Mokroye Delo

The literal English equivalent of Mokroye delo (Мокрое дело) is "wet work," which refers to a very specific and clandestine kind of murder, i.e. killing people — usually for political, criminal or spy purposes. Mokroye, we should note, has its origins in Russian: "mokroye" means "wet," and "delo," work (or business). But to fully understand what this term means and where it came from, we have to go deeper into its historical, cultural and functional context, as well as the use of the term both in Russia and worldwide.

What Does Mokroye Delo Mean?

The true principle from which mokroye delo springs is the notion of assassination or covert execution. Escalating the military aspects of covert operations is "wet work", where 'wet' figuratively refers to blood lost. It has been used in the past by mafia groups, as well as government and military black ops outfits. We must understand that "mokroye delo" is much more than a euphemism for murder; it was something deeply embedded in organized crime, espionage and even political assassination by the Russian state.

The term mokroye (wet) implies a certain degree of messiness or danger because the "work" is almost always dangerous and bloody. This sort of bloodiness is characteristic higher staking job that leaves some physical evidence as opposed to discreet types of killing like astronomical doses of began, for examples;

Historical Background: The Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and the Russia after 1991

Mokroye delo has roots that reach back to the Soviet period, when massive state-sanctioned killings in the name of political control were rampant. What made it worse though was the fact that individuals, who according to the Soviet government and Stalin in particular were perceived enemies of the state, found themselves at risk to be killed or mowed down in purges. In this period, the Soviet secret police (the NKVD) executed thousands of both domestic and foreign fingering with a cruelty bordering on surpassing bestiality. For politically sensitive assassinations, the government deployed special operatives to dispatch enemies of Soviet power.

The term "mokroye delo" started to come into use in some of the opaque language that accompanied secretive operations carried out by Soviet security services, although such operations were largely conducted out of public sight. The term came from both government agents, as well as lowlifes in the criminal underworld who did similar disgusting things for cash or some imaginary vendetta.

The dissolution of the USSR in 1991 plunged Russia into a stormy political and social chaos. Organized crime, called "mafiya" (Russian mafia), also became an important aspect of life during this period. They were often associated with illegal activities including gunrunning, kidnapping, trafficking and especially murder for hire.

In the post-Soviet setting, however, mokroye delo took on a wider scope, coming to refer not only governmental but also political and criminal killings. During those stormy years of the 1990s and early 2000s, mokroye delo was usually employed against political figures, business tycoons and crime bosses themselves by rivals wanting them out of the way. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, both Russian and foreign businesspeople employed mokroye delo to narrowly define a method of achieving control over territories in which they operated.

Mokroye Delo: The KGB and FSB Case

In contemporary times, the Russian intelligence service has played arguably the largest role in the development of mokroye delo as a concept, particularly through its successor agency to the KGB of the Soviet Union — namely, THE FSB (Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation). The KBG participated in many covert violent acts, including assassinations of foreign dissidents, spies, and political foes. Allegations have been leveled against the FSB, like its predecessor KGB before it, of carrying out mokroye delo first at home and then abroad on politicians, journalists and activists critical of the Russian government.

The FSB has often been associated with the extrajudicial execution of national near-elites on Russian soil, and their subsequent murders elsewhere in the world — for political reasons. The best-known cases include those of political dissidents: ex-FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko, poisoned in London in 2006; opposition leader Boris Nemtsov assassinated in Moscow in 2015. Although these are not always referred to explicitly as mokroye delo, they nonetheless fit into the context of state violence in Russia that includes political assassinations by the FSB or loose operatives.

Organized Crime and Private Contractors

Relative to state-sanctioned killings, mokroye delo is also related to organized crime. Russian mafia were particularly violent during the 1990s, fighting to protect or reclaim criminal streams. Mokroye delo dealt in mobsters who orchestrated the hits, employing hired guns—what Americans call "contract killers"—to perform the assassinations of individuals on behalf of their superiors.

Mokroye delo operations have also attracted private military contractors (PMCs) and mercenaries, in addition to the usual organized crime groups. Typically these contractors are expensive and only used for missions to destabilize someones politics, institute regime change or engage in corporate warfare. Some of them are ex-soldiers or spies who do "wet work" for a fun little paycheck, while others have ideological or nationalistic goals.

The Representation of Mokroye Delo in the Media

Mokroye delo,which has become equally popular with the public both in Russia and abroad (like many of army and crime things), is not merciful. Its high-profile and perilous personality has often been recreated in movies, fiction and TV shows focused on espionage, mobsters or political intrigue. Those characters who engage in mokroye delo are often depicted as cold, professional killers: sometimes for the state, sometimes for criminal organizations but always ruthlessly efficient.

The term mokroye delo has come to represent the darker side of power and violence between the state and Russian society. The word was familiar to international and especially Western audiences through numerous movies or documentaries about Russian spies or organized crime. The worldwide interest in the Russian mafia culture, especially prevalent in the 1990s and early 2000s, solidified mokroye delo as a notable and dark term of clandestine and murderous activities.

How The Word Is Used Today And Why It Can Be Problematic

Mokroye delo is particularly controversial in contexts of modern political and diplomatic discussions. Impartial observers, of course, could cite the regular poisoning of political opponents and the steady recruitment of mercenaries to wage war in other countries as examples of state-sponsored mokroye delo on behalf of the Russian government [3]. The fallout has been massive diplomatically with accusations of Russia engaging in state sponsored terrorism and violations against international law.

Additionally, mokroye delo is occasionally mentioned in the context of the declining state of rule of law and impunity for elite actors responsible for extrajudicial killings and human rights violations. Mokroye delo are always hovering over journalists, opposition leaders, and activists in Russia like an ominous cloud above the heads of opponents to the Russian political establishment.

In short, mokroye delo (wet work) is a bloody entry in the Russian history book with roots tracing as far back Soviet purges and assassinations, to the more modern-day state-sponsored hits and murders carried out by organized crime groups. On top of that, mokroye delo had become an affront for the ruthlessness and secrecy — whether political opening, or organized crime, fomented by mercenary. Contextualizing its past and present usage allows one to see the violent character of political and criminal power struggles in Russia and beyond.