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Mercenaries fire upon innocent civilians. These hired killers have been sent around the world
to create mayhem and protect Russian interests. According to Putin and his government, the Wagner
Group does not officially exist. Yet, it has become abundantly clear that the organization has
extremely close ties to the Russian President and sometimes acts as his own private army.
The Wagner group has been known to use terror tactics, torture, and brutality to
carry out their missions. However, they are not always successful. And when they fail,
the Wagner Group tends to leave behind even more carnage than when they succeed. Let’s take a look
at this dark group of mercenaries and find out how Putin uses them to do his bidding.
The Wagner Group has no official registration of business, tax records, or formal governing
body. This is because Putin wants plausible deniability for all of the organization’s actions.
Technically, the Wagner Group shouldn’t exist as it’s illegal for private military companies
to operate in Russia. However, this hasn’t stopped the Wagner Group from buying property,
setting up training facilities, and advertising recruitment opportunities on billboards across
Russia. So, what is actually going on with this mysterious and deadly group?
We are going to take you down the rabbit hole that is the Wagner Group, so hold on tight and be ready
for a bumpy ride. Throughout this journey, keep in mind that someone is always behind the scenes
pulling the strings. This might just be a powerful individual who remains shrouded in mystery,
but more likely than not, Vladimir Putin has a hand in everything that the Wagner Group does.
It’s likely that the organization was started a little before 2014,
but not much of its establishment is actually known. There are conflicting
reports on who started the Wagner Group, but some believe it may have been Dmitry Utkin,
a former GRU soldier that served in the Chechen Wars and eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant
colonel. In 2013, Utkin left the Russian military and joined the Moran Security Group,
which is a private military company that operates internationally, including in
Russia. He soon left this organization and allegedly founded the Wagner Group.
Many have theorized that the Wagner Group was named after Dmitry Utkin’s
call sign in the Russian military which was “Vagner.” Others claim that Wagner came from
the German classical composer Richard Wagner, who just happened to be one of Adolf Hitler’s
favorites. Some have theorized the connection between the Third Reich and the Wagner Group
comes from the numerous neo-Nazis and white supremacists that are part of the
organization. It has also been reported that Dmitry Utkin himself has several Nazi tattoos.
But what if Dmitry Utkin was just a figurehead to divert attention away
from the real founder of the company? It appears this might have been the case,
as a much more powerful entity has been pulling the strings behind the scenes for almost a decade.
Vladimir Putin is almost certainly not the founder of the Wagner Group,
but someone who has become very close to him might be. A Russian businessman named
Yevgeny Prigozhin recently came out and said he founded Wagner Group and was in charge of
the organization. A while ago, Prigozhin was given the name “Putin’s Chef” by the
media as he hosted dinners for the Russian President along with other foreign dignitaries.
From 2014 all the way until last year, Prigozhin continuously denied that he had any connection to
the Wagner group. Yet, in September of 2022, Prigozhin changed his tone when he stated:
"I cleaned the old weapons myself, sorted out the bulletproof vests myself and found specialists
who could help me with this. From that moment, on May 1, 2014, a group of patriots was born,
which later came to be called the Wagner Battalion." Perhaps this is just the ravings
of a lunatic who wants power, but there seems to be some truth behind his words.
Yevgeny Prigozhin spent the initial years after the Soviet Union fell in jail for theft. After he
got out, not much is known of where he went or what he did, but it appears he started rubbing
elbows with some powerful people from Moscow to position himself closer to Putin. His ambitions
were twofold. The first thing he got out of starting the Wagner Group was loads of
money from the Russian government and through other parties who needed to hire mercenaries
or private security. The second perk was that by providing his services to Putin, he set himself
up to join the Kremlin’s inner circle and perhaps even secure a position in politics in the future.
If Prigozhin has been controlling the Wagner Group since 2014,
his main goals for the past several years have been clear, to make money. However,
he could only do this with Putin’s blessing, as without the dictator backing the organization,
the Wagner Group couldn’t exist in Russia due to the country’s laws. This is likely
why Prigozhin wined and dined Vladamir Putin until an agreement could be formed.
Then there's the theory that the Wagner Group isn’t a private entity at all but is actually run
as a branch of the Russian military. The Kremlin could never admit this as they use the Wagner
Group to carry out missions that they could not openly conduct themselves due to the geopolitical
ramifications. And even though the Wagner Group technically isn’t supposed to exist,
and Putin has said countless times that Russia has no ties to the mercenary group,
their soldiers continuously show up time and time again to carry
out assignments that the regular Russian military just can’t do.
This is further supported by the fact that the Wagner Group almost always shares bases
with Russian infantry, is transported by Russian military aircraft and vehicles,
and uses the Russian military’s health care system. On top of this,
the Russian state has also provided Wagner Group members with Russian passports so that they can
travel within Russia and to countries where Putin needs dirty work done more freely.
The question becomes: if Putin didn’t have connections to the Wagner Group,
why are its members given such preferential treatment? The answer is obvious. Putin is
connected to the Wagner Group, and they do whatever he tells them to do without asking
any questions. This gives the President of Russia plausible deniability when things go sideways,
or Wagner members commit crimes against humanity, which they tend to do fairly often. Even if the
organization is run by Prigozhin or anyone other than Putin, the leader of Russia has
the group in his back pocket, and they will eagerly do anything he asks of them.
Before we go into the insane things that the Wagner Group has done, such as assassinations,
torture, and civilian massacres, let’s discuss what else we know about the group.
In 2016 the Wagner Group consisted of around 1,000 mercenaries. This number increased to
6,000 by 2017. This indicates that whatever recruitment tactics the organization was
using worked and that the pay being offered was higher than what these men would receive fighting
in a regular army. During this time, the Wagner Group had offices in different parts of Russia,
Argentina, and Hong Kong. In 2022 they opened their brand new headquarters in East Saint
Petersburg. For a private military group that is not supposed to legally exist in Russia,
they had a clear presence that no one was questioning.
Reports and interviews suggest that the Wagner Group trains its mercenaries at Russian MoD
facilities near a remote village called Molkin, Krasnodar Krai. Russia denies that the base has
any ties to its military and that the structures located in the town are only part of a Children’s
vacation camp. The mercenaries trained here are from all different parts of the world,
although the majority are retired Russian servicemen between the ages of 35 and 55.
These hired soldiers are paid somewhere between 80,000 and 250,000 Russian rubles a month, or
about 650 to 2,000 U.S. dollars. This is much more than they would ever make as a part of the regular
Russian military. While in training, new Wagner Members are not allowed to use social media,
the internet, or cell phones. This is most likely to keep any of the organization's secrets from
slipping out to the rest of the world. On top of that, operatives must follow the Wagner Code of
Honor, which seems to be a list of commandments that must not be broken. One of the very first
rules is to protect the interests of Russia always and everywhere, which gives a clear picture of
where this private organization’s loyalty actually lies. And even though these men are mercenaries
which means they are literally in it for the money, one of the other parts of the code states
that they will ‘fight not for money, but from the principle of winning always and everywhere.’
So, it appears that the Wagner Group itself is not afraid to identify its close ties to the Russian
Federation and its leader, but the Kremlin still denies they have any involvement with the group.
We have now gotten to the part of the Wagner Groups' story where their
war crimes all started. The year was 2014. Vladamir Putin had his sights set on Crimea,
which was only a taste of what was to come in the following decade when Russia invaded
the rest of Ukraine. Reports started coming in from Crimea about a group of mercenaries
among the ranks of Russian soldiers flooding into the region. At the time,
no one had heard of the Wager Group because this would be their first mission for Vladamir Putin.
The men in unmarked uniforms were known as the “little green men.” Somewhere around
1,000 Wagner Group mercenaries were deployed to Crimea, where they were led by Dmitry Utkin.
During the invasion, communications between Utkin and Russian generals were intercepted,
which made it clear the Russian military was commanding the mercenary group. This came as
little surprise as it quickly became apparent that the Wagner Group would
be Putin’s go-to organization when he needed questionable deeds done.
This also indicated that right from the beginning, the Wagner Group was in Putin’s pocket. Even if
Utkin was their figurehead, he didn’t really have any decision-making power. Later,
the mercenaries would go on to help Russian-backed separatist forces in different parts of Ukraine
wreak havoc around the country. For example, after the invasion of Crimea, the Wagner Group
went to the Donbas region, where they helped the pro-Russian forces destabilize local governments,
dismantle their security forces, and take control of ammunition and weapons stores.
Once things calmed down slightly in the region, members of the Wagner Group were
given explicit orders, most likely from Putin himself, to kill any Russian commander or
soldier that seemed to develop a rebellious attitude. There are reports that one raid
ended with mercenaries killing ten people suspected of going against Putin’s wishes
and that many more were slaughtered by Wagner Group forces as they cleansed
Crimea and the Donbas of anyone they saw as being a threat to the Russian occupation.
After the incidents in Crimea in 2014, the Wagner Group set out to protect and promote Russian
interests worldwide. The group may claim that they are for hire by any entity who wants to pay them,
yet it always seems like wherever Wagner Group mercenaries go, there is some kind of connection
to the Kremlin. So, let’s put this debate to rest once and for all. Putin and the leaders
of Russia can deny their involvement with the Wagner Group all they want, but it’s
glaringly obvious that the organization is funded, controlled, and has allegiance to Vladamir Putin.
In 2017, the Wagner Group was deployed to Syria to aid Russia in securing vital
sources of oil. The mercenaries were flown to the region on Russian military transports,
and their equipment was delivered to Syria by a fleet of Russian merchant ships. It's
as if Vladamir Putin didn’t even care if Wagner Group activity could be connected to him anymore.
At that time, the Kremlin had established a set of guidelines that stated companies
who seized oil and gas wells in Syria got to maintain their mining rights as long as they
were in control of the resource. This meant that the Wagner Group could profit from every
mining site that they captured. This was good for the business and good for Russia
as much of the profits made from the seized oil and gas wells would be funneled to Putin
and his regime. The Wagner Group would keep some of the money to pay their mercenaries
and supposedly make Yevgeny Prigozhin a rich man, but it’s almost a certainty
that the Russian government profited greatly from the Wagner Group's activity in Syria.
It was also during the organization's activities in Syria that the world would
get a taste of how ruthless the members of the Wagner Group were.
They had most definitely committed crimes in Crimea and the Donbas,
but video recordings surfaced from Syria of members of the group beating a man thought to
be a captured Syrian soldier and beheading him. This horrific act would only set the foundation
for atrocities that the Wagner Group would commit around the world in the coming years.
Around the same time as the operation in Syria, the Wagner Group deployed some of
its men to Sudan. The mercenaries were filmed training the Sudanese military
to fight against enemy forces in South Sudan. The connection between the Kremlin and Sudan
was not quite as obvious as the one in Syria, but as journalists dug deeper,
it became clear why the Wagner Group was in the country. The mercenaries were sent there
to protect gold, uranium, and diamond mines that Russian companies had a large stake in.
It appeared that the Sudanese government would allow Russia to continue to exploit
their lands in return for help defeating the South Sudan forces. In fact, one expert
said that the mercenaries were explicitly sent to Sudan to "hammer out beneficial conditions
for the Russian companies." It goes without saying that Putin benefits from the profits of
any Russian company as taxes and under-the-table bribes will always be collected by the Kremlin.
After years of fighting, a coup broke out in Sudan in 2019. Russia supported the
Transitional Military Council, which meant the Wagner Group likely aided them in their
overthrowing of the former government. The TMC promised to uphold Russia’s contracts
pertaining to Sudan’s defense, along with increasing their mining rights and control
of the energy sector. Therefore, it came as no surprise that Putin,
through the help of the Wagner Group and their mercenaries, aided the TMC in coming to power.
Across the Atlantic, the Wagner Group was sent to Venezuela in 2019 as a security
force during the presidential crisis. They were there to provide protection
for one of the candidates. And when you look at the track record of each,
it was pretty obvious who the Wagner Group was sent to protect. President Nicolás Maduro had
run the country into the ground and let violence run rampant in its streets. Corruption filled
almost every part of the government, and the citizens of Venezuela were suffering greatly.
However, Maduro was running against a U.S.-backed candidate who Russia most certainly did not want
to win the election. The Wagner Group was also sent to keep an eye on Russian business interests,
such as Rosneft, an oil company that was making large sums of money off of the
natural resources in the country. Once again, The Wagner Group’s presence in a foreign nation
was the direct result of Russia trying to influence politics and secure resources.
The Wagner Group also trained the Venezuelan National Militia and the pro-Maduro Colectivos,
which would keep politicians who were sympathetic to Russian causes in power.
When asked about the connection between Russian interests and the Wagner Group,
the Russian ambassador to Venezuela, Vladimir Zayemsky, told the press that the Wagner Group
wasn’t in the country even though photos and videos of them had already been circulating.
In Libya, the Wagner Group was sent by Russia to aid General Khalifa Haftar,
where they were accused of planting landmines, a weapon which more than 150 countries have banned.
Landmines are incredibly dangerous because they are active long after a conflict is over, and it
was a safe bet that the Wagner Group wasn’t going to clean up the leftover ordinance. Landmines that
mercenaries planted in Libya and other parts of Africa, such as the Central African Republic,
have detonated, killing or severely injuring innocent civilians, including children.
But the Wagner Group doesn’t care who they hurt as long as they get paid. Russia refuses to
acknowledge its ties to the Wagner Group, but they still foot most of their bills,
such as their transportation and weapons. It’s highly probable that Putin’s government even
pays some of the Wagner Group’s salaries. The deployment of landmines is not the only
condemnable act that the Wagner Group has engaged in. The United Nations have accused
the Wagner Group of murdering, robbing, and physically harming civilians wherever they go.
This brings us to the present day. Perhaps there is no more blatant connection between
Putin and the Wagner Group than what has happened in the war against Ukraine.
Weeks before Putin launched his invasion, the Wagner Group flew 400 mercenaries from
the Central African Republic to Ukraine to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
They obviously failed, but it was very clear once the war got underway who
hired them to carry out such an act. The Wagner mercenaries also launched a series
of false flag operations that Putin later used to justify his invasion of Ukraine. Basically,
the Wagner Group was the first Russian force to wage war against Ukraine. And true to form,
these mercenaries almost immediately began committing brutal acts of terror.
In March of 2022, Russian forces, along with a contingent of Wagner Group mercenaries,
captured the city of Bucha, Ukraine, just to the northwest of Kyiv. Radio communications
were intercepted that indicated the execution of civilians was a main part of Russia’s plan to
instill fear in the population. The Wagner Group had a lot of experience in these types of terror
tactics, so it’s possible they led the charge for what would become known as the Bucha Massacre.
When the Ukrainian army pushed Russian forces out of the region, they were horrified at what they
found in Bucha. 458 bodies of Ukrainian citizens were found. 419 of them had been killed with
weapons, including nine children under the age of 18. It was an unbearable sight, but the world had
to know what Russia and the Wagner Group had done. At least 50 people had been executed with their
hands bound behind their backs and gunshot wounds from point-blank range to the head.
Upon further investigation, it was found that the soldiers and mercenaries who
carried out these acts of cruelty also tortured people in the basements beneath
a campground. Bodies were found mutilated or with burn marks all over their bodies. War
crimes and crimes against humanity were committed at Bucha. And there is very
little doubt that the Wagner Group played at least some role in what happened there.
This is nothing new, as we now know. The Wagner Group consistently uses
terror tactics and brutality during their missions. However, like the Russian military,
the number of mercenaries in the Wagner Group is decreasing due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. This
is why reports coming out of Russia indicate that the Wagner Group is recruiting thousands
of convicts from prisons across the country to join their organization. At this point,
both the Wagner Group and the Russian military will take anybody they can get their hands on.
Putin is forcing Russian citizens to fight in the war effort,
but it would be a bad look for him if he started putting convicts on the front lines. However,
since he claims the Wagner Group has no affiliation with the Russian government,
they are allowed to recruit anyone they want. Some U.S. officials have suggested that due
to the Wagner Group’s recruiting efforts, it may have as many as 50,000 men in their organization.
It’s estimated by the UK that at the height of the invasion, around 10% of Russian forces consisted
of Wagner Group mercenaries. Ukrainian soldiers have noted that these men are
not well trained or equipped for battle as they often attack across open ground,
which allows snipers and infantry to easily pick them off. It almost seems as if Putin is
using Wagner mercenaries as cannon fodder in some parts of Ukraine. This might not be too
far from the truth as Russia doesn’t have to count independently contracted soldiers
as casualties when assessing how the war effort is going. It looks a lot better for
Putin if thousands of mercenaries are dying rather than thousands of Russian soldiers.
But the delusional Russian dictator isn’t fooling anyone. The world knows
that he indirectly controls the Wagner Group and is using them to enhance the
number of soldiers he has in Ukraine. He is also likely using the men in the
organization to commit heinous acts against the Ukrainian people to instill fear while
distancing himself and the Kremlin from these crimes against humanity.
The Wagner Group is a company that shouldn’t exist. Its sole purpose is to carry out the
desires of Putin and his allies so that they can’t be held accountable. But being a member
of the Wagner Group means you do what you’re told no matter what. Videos have been released
of former members of the organization being executed for desertion. One ex-fighter named
Yevgeny Nuzhin was killed for treason by a sledgehammer to the head. Like Vladamir Putin,
the Wagner Group is brutal, insane, and needs to be brought to justice.
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Now watch “Rent An Army: How Much Does It Actually Cost?” Or check
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