WAGNER GROUP
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Wagner Then
The Wagner group was created in 2014 by former Russian military commander Dmitry Utkin and Yevgeny Prigozhin who at the time were not known by most to be the true owner of Wagner until the Russo-Ukrainian War.
The Wagner group saw combat operations in most of the world, fighting for pro-Russia in Donbas, Ukraine and pro-Russian regimes in Syria, Africa, and Mali. These operations are where most of the early news coverage of Wagner was reported, including war crimes they had committed which included murder and robbery of civilians.
Wagner in Ukraine
Wagner joined the Russo-Ukrainian war in September of 2023, and fought in Popasna, Soledar and eventually Bahkmut. Bakhmut is where Wagner gained their notoriety. However, during this time Prigozhen continuously criticized the Russian Minister of Defense, Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov for the belief that they were withholding vital supplies and ammunition that were resulting in many casualties in the ranks of Wagner.
Wagner Mutiny
In June of 2023, 5,000 Wagner fighters led by Prigozhin himself staged a mutiny, or armed protest as they call it, after a supposedly direct missile strike in their base by the Russian minister of defense themselves. This resulted in the capture of a major Russian city known as Rostov-on-Don and eventually the march to Moscow.
During the 24-hour mutiny, Lukashenko, the president of Belarus was able to negotiate with Prigozhin to stop the armed march, which in the course of a series of events resulted in Prigozhin being exiled and Wagner troops relocating their operational HQ to Belarus near the Polish border.
After the mutiny Wagner had been training Belarusian territorial defense forces near the Polish border but until July, Prigozhen delivered a speech that stated that they would set off to a new path which was in Africa. This move was the result of the upcoming ECOWAS invasion.
Prigozhin and Utkin’s assassination
On the 23rd of August Wagner’s leaders, Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, died in a plane crash which was speculated to be orchestrated by the Russian government. Since these deaths, many speculators expect the Wagner group to be dissolved into the main Russian Army. and form the so-called Storm Z units.
Future of Wagner
After the death of Prigozhin and Utkin, Wagner has been reported to have already chosen a new leader or are in the process of picking one. Reports also show that most of the Wagner contractors willingly chose to stay with Wagner rather than integrate into the Russian army.
Wagner’s future is uncertain but many people believe that Wagner is going back to what it was before the Ukrainian War, a mercenary company for Russian interests, but with much more infamy. Currently, Wagner’s future seems to be in Africa, possibly other regions, but the far future is yet to be clear.
