The Wagner Group is the offspring of the Slavonic Corps, a Russian paramilitary group active in Syria in 2013. The Corps was quickly dismantled following its failure on the field. As its successor, Wagner started operating in 2014 in Ukraine and Syria. Like its older iteration, it is formed by former members of the Russian military or secret services, most notably the GRU.

As a Private Military Company (PMC), the Wagner Group offers a range of services : close protection of public personalities, military formation and consulting on security matters. However, numerous reports and evidences point to the fact that the group far exceeds these activities. Most notably, the Group is taking an active part in combat actions in both Africa and the Middle East.

More than 3000 mercenaries have served in Syria, 2500 in Ukraine and about a 1000 in Libya and the Central African Republic. They act both alongside the Russian army and on their own. In all cases, their operate in areas in suitable to Moscow’s strategic interests.

No legal existence

But in spite of this flourishing activity, the Wagner Group has no legal existence. Private Military Companies are indeed outlawed in Russia. Practically, the company is registered in Argentina, and both Vladimir Putin and Sergei Lavrov denied its existence on multiple occasions.

These mercenaries can therefore freely conduct actions the Russian Federation cannot officially acknowledge. They are a tool for Moscow to promote its agenda, without taking responsibility for illegal behaviors. Nonetheless, it does not prevent the government from providing material and facilities such as the training camp in Molkino (Krasnodar Krai).

Links to the Russian oligarchy

As a private company, the Wagner Group is first and foremost driven by profit. They are largely used for site protection of mining societies. These all link to one man : Evgeny Prigozhin. This Russian oligarch is close to the Kremlin, and built is fortune in the catering industry, with contracts with many Russian administrations including the Ministry of Defense. He is believed to be the founder of Wagner Group.

Prigozhin is also behind information manipulation operations, and is of the Internet Research Agency accused of interfering in the US elections.

Coordinating the Wagner Group with his mining companies, Prigozhin is both advancing Russia’s strategic interests, and making personal gains. All of that, by taking advantage of vulnerable populations and unstable countries.