European Observatory to Combat Radicalization – EOCR
What is Russia’s Wagner group, and where have its fighters gone?
BBC – Several Wagner mercenaries have gone to Belarus, after Yevgeny Prigozhin led thousands of the group’s troops in a failed mutiny in June.Mr Prigozhin was also supposed to relocate there, but his current whereabouts are not known.
What is the Wagner group and how big is it?
Yevgenny Prigozhin says he founded Wagner in 2014.A wealthy businessman with a criminal record, he is known as “Putin’s chef” because he provided catering for the Kremlin.In 2014, Wagner started backing pro-Russian separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, and is thought to have helped Russia annex Crimea.Wagner forces have also been active in Africa and the Middle East.The group’s first field commander is believed to have been Dmitri Utkin, a veteran of Russia’s wars in Chechnya. “Wagner” was his radio call sign.
Before the war in Ukraine, estimates suggested Wagner had about 5,000 fighters – mostly veterans of Russia’s elite regiments and special forces.However, its numbers grew substantially after the war began. When launching his failed mutiny in June, Yevgeny Prigozhin said that he commanded 25,000 troops.Although mercenary forces are technically illegal in Russia, Wagner registered as a “private military company” in 2022.
What did Wagner do in Ukraine?
Wagner was heavily involved in the capture of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut for Russia.Ukrainian troops say its fighters were sent into attacks in large numbers over open ground, which resulted in many casualties.In the weeks before Russia’s invasion, it is thought Wagner carried out so-called “false flag” attacks in Ukraine, to give the Kremlin a pretext for invading. These are attacks which one side carries out but blames on its opponent.Prigozhin boosted Wagner’s numbers in 2022 by recruiting Russian prisoners.About 80% of its troops in Ukraine came from prisons, according to the US National Security Council.
Why did Wagner troops stage a mutiny?
Prigozhin regularly criticised Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, and the chief of staff of Russia’s armed forces, Valery Gerasimov, over their approach to the war.He also defied an order from the defence ministry that it should run the group.On 24 June, about 5,000 Wagner troops seized control of the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and advanced on Moscow, with the stated aim of removing the military leadership.
However, Prigozhin stopped the mutiny after negotiations with the Kremlin, which were mediated by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.Wagner fighters were told they could join Russia’s regular army or go to Belarus, along with Prigozhin.
Where are Wagner’s fighters now?
The BBC has compiled satellite imagery and videos from social media which suggest that an estimated 600 Wagner fighters have set up camp at Tsel, in the south of Belarus.The country’s defence ministry says Wagner fighters are now acting as instructors for its territorial defence forces.The US military says Wagner troops in Ukraine are no longer “participating in any significant capacity” in the war.
Where is Prigozhin?
Under the settlement reached after the mutiny, Prigozhin agreed to go into exile in Belarus.However, on 6 July, Lukashenko said he was in St Petersburg, in Russia.In addition, President Putin revealed that he met Prigozhin and other Wagner commanders in the Kremlin five days after the mutiny, to discuss the group’s future.The BBC tracked Prigozhin’s plane as it flew from Russia to Belarus and back in late June.
The plane also made several journeys between St Petersburg and Moscow around the same time – although it is not known whether Prigozhin was on board.He hasn’t been seen in public since 24 June, when he was with Wagner forces in Rostov-on-Don.
Where else does Wagner operate?
Wagner’s mercenaries have been in Syria since 2015, fighting alongside pro-government forces and guarding oilfields.The group has troops in Libya, supporting the forces of General Khalifa Haftar, and members are also thought to protect gold mines in Sudan.Wagner personnel in the Central African Republic (CAR) guard diamond mines. Shortly after the failed coup, hundreds of fighters left because of uncertainty over the group’s future.
However, according to the Reuters news agency, several have since returned.The government of Mali, in West Africa, uses the group against Islamic militant groups.It is not yet clear who will now take command of these troops.
How does Wagner make money?
According to President Putin, Wagner was given 86.26bn roubles ($1bn) of government money between May 2022 and May 2023 to pay troops.The US Treasury says Prigozhin’s private companies have made profits in many places where Wagner forces operate – in gold and diamond mines in the CAR and Sudan, and in oil and gas fields in Syria.
What crimes are Wagner troops accused of?
Ukrainian prosecutors say three Wagner mercenaries killed and tortured civilians near Kyiv in April 2022, alongside regular Russian troops.German intelligence says Wagner troops may also have massacred civilians in Bucha in March 2022.The UN and the French government have accused Wagner troops of raping and robbing civilians in the CAR.In 2020, the US military accused Wagner mercenaries of planting landmines and other improvised explosive devices in and around the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
European Observatory to Combat Radicalization – EOCR
