Summary and Key Points: Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has showcased bizarre combat scenarios, notably involving the Wagner Group private military company. A year ago, Yevgeny Prigozhin led over 8,000 Wagner personnel in a mutiny against Russian military leadership, accusing them of corruption.

-The mutiny ended with Prigozhin’s death in a plane crash, but the Wagner Group persists under new leadership. The group’s operations in Ukraine have been replaced by other forces, but Wagner remains active in Belarus, Mali, and the Central African Republic.

-Additionally, the group’s recruitment of Russian convicts, promising freedom in exchange for combat service, has been emulated to some extent by Ukraine to address manpower shortages.

From Mutiny to Mercenaries: The Wagner Group's Role in Ukraine and Beyond

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has provided some truly bizarre examples of modern combat. 

The saga of the Wagner Group private military company is probably one of the highlights of the war so far. 

The Wagner Group Saga 

“One year ago, on 24 June 2023, the late Yevgeny Prigozhin led over 8,000 Wagner personnel on a ‘march for justice’ against the Russian military’s high command, accusing them of corruption and derelictions of duty,” British Military Intelligence assessed in a recent estimate on the war.

Prigozhin was very careful not to directly accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin, but instead argued that Putin relied on incompetent and corrupt advisors who gave him bad advice. Of course, as any dictator would, Putin took Prigozhin’s mutiny for what it was – an attempted coup d’etat – and acted with characteristic brutality.

“Russia has subsequently arrested several high-profile military leaders on accusations of corruption. Whilst a particular target of Prigozhin’s scorn, the ex-Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, has since been replaced,” British Military Intelligence added. 

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stepped in and gave both parties a way out. The mutiny ended, and Putin saved face. But Putin did not forget. In August, a plane that was carrying Prigozhin crashed, killing all on board. Despite his death, Prigozhin’s private military company survived, though it is a shadow of its former self. It is worth remembering that at one point, the Wagner Group was leading Russian combat operations in Ukraine, especially in the Battle for Bakhmut in the Donbas. 

Today, the private military company is led by Pavel Prigozhin, Yevgeny’s son, and commanded by Anton “Lotos” Yelizarov.

What made the Wagner Group particularly useful for the Kremlin was that Moscow could use the group for sensitive missions and retain deniability for itself.

“The Wagner Group withdrew from the frontlines in Ukraine during May 2023, being replaced by Chechen and Russian MOD [Ministry of Defense] Volunteer Corps irregular forces,” British Military Intelligence stated. 

The Wagner Group was especially active in Africa and the Middle East. 

“Wagner nevertheless maintains independent deployments in Belarus, Mali and the Central African Republic,” British Military Intelligence stated. 

Prisoner Soldiers 

One of Prigozhin’s most well known innovations in the conflict was the widespread recruitment of Russian convicts into the Wagner Group. These prisoners served six-month contracts in exchange for their freedom. The majority, of course, were killed in one of countless World War One-style human wave attacks against fortified Ukrainian positions. 

It is estimated that between July 2022 and February 2023, the Wagner Group recruited and fielded close to 50,000 convicts. 

“Since February 2022, Russia’s total prison population has decreased by at least 150,000,” British Military Intelligence assessed.

“It is likely that a majority of these prisoners were released in exchange for agreeing to fight in Ukraine,” it concluded. 

The practice has recently found some limited popularity in Ukraine. The Ukrainian military is facing a severe manpower shortage as President Volodymyr Zelensky and his government tries not to announce a mandatory draft for all males. One solution to that is using prisoners. 

About the Author: 

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock. 

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