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Wagner Group

The Wagner Group (Russian: Группа Вагнера), or ChVK Wagner (ChVK is the Russian abbreviation for Private Military Company),[1] is a Russian paramilitary organization founded by Dmitry Utkin and led by Yevgeny Prigozhin. It is described as a private military company, a network of mercenaries, or a de facto private army of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

PMC Wagner
PMC Wagner Center logo.png
Active2014–present
StatusDe jure dissolved in June 2023 (per Russia)
De facto active (per itself)
IdeologyRussian nationalism
Neo-Nazism (allegedly)
AllegianceFlag of the Donetsk People's Republic (2014-2018).svg Donetsk People's Republic (2014–2015)
Flag of the Lugansk People's Republic (Late 2014).svg Luhansk People's Republic (2014–2015)
Flag of Syria.svg Syria (2015–present)
Flag of Russia.svg Russia (2022–2023)
FounderDmitry Utkin (presumed KIA)
LeadersYevgeny Prigozhin (presumed KIA)
HeadquartersSaint Petersburg, Russia
Size~50,000 (December 2022)
AlliesBanner of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (obverse).svg Russian Armed Forces
Flag of the Syrian Arab Armed Forces.svg Syrian Armed Forces
Flag of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution.svg Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Central African Armed Forces
Flag of The Libyan National Army (Variant).svg Libyan National Army
Emblem of the Rapid Support Forces.png Rapid Support Forces
Mozambique Defence Armed Forces
Emblème des Forces Armées Maliennes (FAMa).svg Malian Armed Forces
PMC "Convoy"
Battles and war(s)War in Donbas
Syrian civil war
South Sudanese Civil War
Central African Republic Civil War
Second Libyan Civil War
Sudanese Revolution
Venezuelan presidential crisis
Insurgency in Cabo Delgado
Mali War
Russian invasion of Ukraine
2023 Sudan conflict
Wagner Group rebellion
2023 Tver plane crash

The Wagner Group came to prominence during the War in Donbas and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, especially in the Battle of Bakhmut.[2][3] It helped separatist forces of the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics from 2014 to 2015. Its contractors have apparently taken part in various conflicts around the world—including the civil wars in Syria,[4] Libya,[5] the Central African Republic (CAR),[6] Mali,[7] and Sudan.[8] It usually fights on the side of forces aligned with the Russian government.

In 2023, the Wagner Group launched a rebellion against the Russian Ministry of Defense. The leader of the company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation had attacked his forces and that Wagner was going to unleash revenge upon the Russian government. This was followed by a battle in Rostov-on-Don.[9][10] The rebellion ended after President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko negotiated a peace deal.[11][12]

Following the rebellion, Wagner was de jure dissolved in Russia and many of its fighters were forced to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense. The de facto remnants of the group relocated to Belarus and set up new bases just north of the border with Ukraine.[13] Not long afterwards, the 2023 Niger coup d'état allowed a military junta to seize power in Niger. The new government allowed Wagner to establish a presence.[14] A month later, Prigozhin was presumed dead in the 2023 Tver plane crash.[15]

The organization (Wagner) has operations (and soldiers) in Syria and other countries (as of 2023's third quarter); Redut (another PMC) has taken over some of the soldiers and operations. [16] [17]

Where the Wagner Group comes from and who leads it:

File:Prigo and Utkin.png
Prigozhin (left) and Utkin (right)

The Wagner Group started in 2014 when Russia took over Crimea.[18] Until 2022, it wasn't clear who started and ran the group. Dmitry Utkin and Yevgeny Prigozhin were both named as founders and leaders. During Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Prigozhin said he started Wagner and was its head. Some sources say Prigozhin paid for it, while Utkin led its military side.[19]

Yevgeny Prigozhin:

People talked a lot about Prigozhin being connected to Wagner and Utkin.[20][21] He was called "Putin's chef" because he cooked for Putin. He was thought to give the most money and really own Wagner. He said he wasn't connected to Wagner and even sued some news sources for saying he was. In 2022, he said he started the group and called it the Wagner Battalion. He became the face of Wagner, but he wasn't in the military, so Utkin actually led the fighting.[22]

Dmitry Utkin:

Utkin was in the Russian military before Wagner. He was a commander in special forces and fought in wars. Many say he founded Wagner and led it at first. Some say he named the group after his fake name "Wagner." The European Union put sanctions on Wagner and said Utkin was the leader. He was in charge of the fighting part, while Prigozhin owned it.[23]

Konstantin Pikalov:

Pikalov was in charge of Wagner's work in Africa in 2019. He was in a special military unit in Russia before. After he retired, he ran a detective agency. He helped suppress opponents of a Russian-backed leader. He traveled near Ukraine a lot and was part of military actions there and in Syria.

Wagner Group Media

Related pages

References

  1. ↑ "What is the Wagner Group, Russia's mercenary organisation?". [1] The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  2. ↑ CGTN. "Ukraine denies Russian Wagner's claim on full control of Bakhmut". news.cgtn.com. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  3. ↑ Kiley, Sam (2023-05-22). "Wagner forces claim to have taken Bakhmut. But Ukraine's forces could still exact a heavy toll". CNN. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  4. ↑ Gibbons-Neff, Thomas (2018-05-24). "How a 4-Hour Battle Between Russian Mercenaries and U.S. Commandos Unfolded in Syria" (in en-US). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/24/world/middleeast/american-commandos-russian-mercenaries-syria.html. Retrieved 2023-06-24. 
  5. ↑ "Libya: Russia's Wagner Group Set Landmines Near Tripoli". Human Rights Watch. 2022-05-31. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  6. ↑ "Russian mercenaries exploit African country as they fight in Ukraine". NBC News. 2023-06-01. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  7. ↑ Burke, Jason (2023-05-20). "Russian mercenaries behind slaughter of 500 in Mali village, UN report finds" (in en-GB). The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712 . https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/20/russian-mercenaries-behind-slaughter-in-mali-village-un-report-finds. Retrieved 2023-06-24. 
  8. ↑ Arvanitidis, Nima Elbagir,Gianluca Mezzofiore,Tamara Qiblawi,Barbara (2023-04-20). "Exclusive: Evidence emerges of Russia's Wagner arming militia leader battling Sudan's army". CNN. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  9. ↑ "Wagner chief vows to topple Russian military leaders" (in en-GB). BBC News. 2023-06-23. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66005256. Retrieved 2023-06-24. 
  10. ↑ "Wagner PMC 'armed coup' attempt in Russia: all the latest news". RT International. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  11. ↑ "Belarus deal to take in leader of Russian rebellion puts him in an even more repressive nation". AP News. 2023-06-25. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
  12. ↑ "Putin Turned to Belarus Leader Lukashenko to Broker Truce Deal". WSJ. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
  13. ↑ "Wagner: Satellite images reveal Belarus camp arrival" (in en-GB). BBC News. 2023-07-18. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-66234260. Retrieved 2023-08-27. 
  14. ↑ "Niger's junta asks for help from Russian group Wagner as it faces military intervention threat". AP News. 2023-08-05. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
  15. ↑ "Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed dead in a plane crash outside Moscow". AP News. 2023-08-23. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
  16. ↑ https://yle.fi/a/74-20047350. Yle.fi. Retrieved 2023-08-29
  17. ↑ "Passenger plane crashes in Russia, Wagner chief Prigozhin possibly on board". Novaya Gazeta. 23 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  18. ↑ Andrew S. Bowen (23 March 2023) Russia's Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) . Congressional Research Service. Report.
  19. ↑ "In Prigozhin's shadow, the Wagner Group leader who stays out of the spotlight". Global News. 29 June 2023. https://globalnews.ca/news/9801903/prigozhin-wagner-group-leader-dmitry-utkin/. 
  20. ↑ "The man allegedly behind Russia's 'troll factory' is reportedly trying to buy the news outlet that keeps exposing his business empire — Meduza". Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  21. ↑ "Кухня частной армии". 9 June 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  22. ↑ "Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin admits founding Wagner mercenary group". the Guardian. 2022-09-26. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  23. ↑ "The Ghost of Civil War in Russia?". SCEEUS. 20 June 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
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