The Wagner Group first came to the fore in 2014 when it began supporting pro-Russian separatist forces in eastern Ukraine. The group is believed to have helped Russia annex Crimea that same year.
Wagner forces also operate in Africa and the Middle East.
Before the Ukraine war, Wagner was thought to have around 5,000 fighters, most of whom had served in Russia’s elite troops and special forces in the past.
However, this number increased significantly over time.
When Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigojin announced to Moscow that he was launching the “March for Justice”, he said he commanded 25,000 soldiers.
While mercenaries are technically illegal in Russia, Wagner was registered as a company in 2022.
The United States announced in January 2023 that it would designate Wagner as a “transnational criminal organization”.
WHAT DID WAGNER DO IN UKRAINE?
Wagner played a major role in Russia’s capture of the city of Bahmut in eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian troops say that their fighters have been sent to attack in large numbers, resulting in many deaths.
The Russian Ministry of Defense initially denied that the Wagner Group took part in the conflicts in Ukraine. This attitude brought along Prigojin’s complaints against Russia’s military leaders.
Prigojin threatened to withdraw Wagner troops from Bahmut, saying they were deprived of ammunition.
In the weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Wagner is believed to have carried out attacks to use the Kremlin as a pretext for the invasion.
According to Dr Marina Miron of Kings College London, Wagner also supervised regular Russian troops in Ukraine.
“Wagner was used by the Kremlin to enforce discipline on the ground,” Miron says.
WHEN WAGNER STARTED ITS ACTIVITIES, WHERE DOES THE NAME COME FROM?
Yevgeni Prigojin claims to have founded Wagner himself in 2014.
Prigojin was a wealthy businessman and a convicted criminal.
Prigojin earned the nickname “Putin’s chef” as he started serving the Kremlin, the catering company he founded.
A BBC investigation in 2021 revealed that former Russian army officer Dmitri Utkin may have been involved in Wagner’s founding.
Utkin, who fought in the Russian army in Chechnya, is believed to have been Wagner’s first field commander and named the group after its old radio callsign.
Prigojin added Russian prisoners to Wagner in 2022, increasing the number of the group’s fighters.
According to the US National Security Council, about 80 percent of Russian troops in Ukraine are of Wagner origin.
WHY DID PRIGOJIN DISCUSS WITH RUSSIAN COMMANDERS?
Prigojin repeatedly accused Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov of incompetence.
He refused to sign the contract that would allow the Russian Ministry of Defense to take Wagner under its direct control.
On June 23, he accused top Russian defense officials, this time, of bombing Wagner troops in Ukraine.
A day later, Prigojin’s troops captured the city of Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia. Wagner’s troops began to advance on Moscow with the aim of “dismissal of the military leadership.”
Prigojin halted the advance after negotiations with the Kremlin mediated by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
Prigojin also agreed to go into exile in Belarus with Wagner troops loyal to him.
Under the agreement, other Wagner units will join the regular army in Russia.
The charges against the rioters were dropped.
WHERE ELSE DOES WAGNER OPERATE?
Wagner’s mercenaries have been fighting alongside pro-government forces and protecting oil fields in Syria since 2015.
The group has troops in Libya supporting forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar.
The Central African Republic also uses Wagner to protect its diamond mines in the country. The group is believed to also protect the gold mines in Sudan.
In West Africa, the Mali government is using Wagner against Islamic militant groups.
It is not yet clear who will take command of all these units after the latest developments.
Prigojin was thought to be making money from operations abroad.
The US Treasury Department believes Prigojin used Wagner to enrich its mining companies. Sanctions are imposed on all these companies.
WHAT ARE THE CRIMES ALLEGED TO COMMIT?
Ukrainian prosecutors say three mercenaries from the Wagner group, along with Russian troops, killed and tortured civilians near the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, in April 2022.
German intelligence, on the other hand, is of the opinion that Wagner troops may have massacred civilians in Buça in March 2022.
The United Nations and the French government accused Wagner members of raping and robbery of civilians in the Central African Republic.
In 2020, the US military accused Wagner’s mercenaries of planting land mines and other explosive devices in and around the Libyan capital, Tripoli.