After the Coup: Wagner Group's Current Operations
- Aug 12, 2023
- 2 min read
Russia's Wagner Group took center stage on global media following a failed mutiny against the Russian Federation in June, 2023. Wagner Group is a private military company that had previously answered to the Kremlin, gaining infamy during the Russo-Ukrainian war for their mass-recruitment of Russian prisoners, as well as being accused of war crimes.
There are multiple suspected reasons as to why the group started a mutiny, such as claims of mistreatment by Russian troops, and Wagner's leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, attempting to seize more power in the Russian military hierarchy. After capturing the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, the mutineers marched on Moscow, but ultimately stood down after negotiations mediated by the president of Belarus. The terms of the negotiation required Wagner troops to be either absorbed into Russia's military, or be sent to Belarus with Prigozhin.
In the following days, Wagner's fate remained quite unclear. Many suspected that Prigozhin had been assassinated following his failed coup. However, more than a month later, Prigozhin and Wagner remain alive and operating outside of Ukraine. Many of Wagner's experienced fighters are currently training Belarusian soldiers, and Poland claims Wagner has been approaching its western border.
Wagner has continued to operate in other regions of the world, maintaining a presence in the Middle East, Central Africa, and West Africa. For years, Wagner has hired its troops out to leaders in these regions, providing security forces and fighting insurgents. In turn, they have been rewarded with massive shares of resources, notably oil and gold. It seems Wagner may once again have the chance to intervene in a major conflict very soon, with political tensions in West Africa reaching a breaking point. On July 26, the country of Niger was taken over by a military junta, supported by its neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso. The junta has been heavily opposed by ECOWAS, an alliance of West African nations, as well as the US and France. Wagner is poised to offer training and assistance to Niger, as they already have troops stationed in Mali, and Prigozhin has voiced his support for the junta. As Western influence in Africa steadily declines, Prigozhin is prepared to expand his mercenary empire into new territory.
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