Wagner mutiny shows war is no longer entirely nationalist, it is multinational business

Underlying wars between nations are the assumptions of patriotism, nationalism and several other “noble” objectives.

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict is similarly based on these notions. What the recent Wagner mutiny has managed to do is dent these long-held assumptions and expose the fact that for the last two decades wars have largely become business by other means.

Take the Wagner group. It is not the first but the latest group of military contractors doing its job (literally speaking) of fighting on behalf of Russia in Africa and the Middle East on commercial terms. The group, founded in 2014 during tensions against Ukraine and the occupation of Crimea, naturally gravitated again towards the war at home against Ukraine. Wagner contractors are active on parts of the warfront instead of regular Russian troops.

Also read: US, NATO had no hand in Wagner Group mutiny in Russia: Joe Biden

Mercenaries at war

The contractors, led by Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, reportedly number around 50,000 are not Russian alone. The contractors, the newer term for mercenaries, from several parts of the world are on the battlefield working for their paymasters.

Similarly, Ukraine too is using military contractors, like Wagner, to defend itself against Russia. They also comprise mercenaries from across the world. When the war commenced, reports said 20,000 contractors from 52 countries applied to fight for Ukraine. So, here you have two governments, outsourcing their war to private contractors who fight each other while regular Russian and Ukrainian troops reduce their direct involvement in the war.

The United States re-introduced the arrangement of hiring private military freelancers this century in its wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The BlackWater group, started in 1996, was used by the George W Bush administration to fight in these two countries.

Also read: Wagner chief mocks Russian military for ‘failing to protect country’ in audio statement

In the medieval and middle ages, wars were largely fought by mercenaries recruited by various kingdoms.  The practice died down nearly 200 years ago with the emergence of the modern nation-state along with notions of nationalism etc.

After the US recreated the practice two decades ago, it has picked up pace. Today there are several military contractors who are open to work for any government, businesses or oligarchs willing to pay the price. Wagner and Blackwater (Academi a.k.a. Constellis Holdings) are well-publicised. Other top contractors include DynCorp, Define International and Triple Canopy.

No accountability

For countries like Russia and the US, contractors are a convenient way of carrying on a war without putting the lives of their regular soldiers on the line. The other advantage is that private contractors like Wagner are not accountable to the normal checks and balances of any system. Some of the worst atrocities against Iraqis were carried out by private contractors. Among them was the Nisour Square shooting in 2007 by Blackwater mercenaries that killed 17 Iraqi civilians.

In the Russia versus Ukraine conflict, reports of alleged war crimes by the Wagner group have come to the fore. But, the possibility of any contractor being held to account is remote.

According to some reports, one important reason for the prolonged fight between Russia and Ukraine is due to the fact that the war is being fought increasingly by contractors, who would prefer a lengthy conflict as that is just another day in the office for them.

The only consideration for contractors is they need to be paid on time and as per their contract. For each Wagner contractor killed, the family is reportedly paid $60,000 as compensation. This has been a huge drain on the already beleaguered Russian economy.

Dangerous trend

Wagner chief Prigozhin was angry as they were not being taken care of and their demands for better military equipment and other basics were being ignored by the Russian government. He reported to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and was upset when his demands were not met.

The ties between the two deteriorated. To make it worse, a Russian missile landed on the contractors in Bakhmut, killing some of them. And, a mutiny resulted. The world hyped up the revolt as a possible coup d’etat against Putin etc. Eventually, there were no surprises as a deal was struck and the mutiny collapsed.

Also read: Russia: Wagner Group takes ‘control’ of Rostov-on-Don military facilities

Prigozhin himself later said they were not interested in dislodging Putin. Not a surprise, as a company like Wagner is not keen on ruling any country. They just need jobs and expect to be treated well, like any contract staff by a civilian company. In fact, the Wagner mutiny was more like employees protesting against poor wages and ill-treatment, nothing more nothing less.

But the system of engaging private contractors to wage wars is a dangerous trend as it turns the contours of world politics inside out. For example, the prolonged conflict between Russia and Ukraine is foxing the world as the reasons for the conflagration do not merit such a serious war.

‘Endless’ wars

When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022 it was expected that the fighting would end in a few days. A quick attempt to negotiate peace did not yield much. Since then, the conflict has continued sporadically with no real effort to end it. Two sets of mercenaries are fighting it out while the governments on both sides see no need to come to an early settlement. Russian, Chechen, French, Spanish, Swedish, and Serbian mercenaries are all said to be fighting on both sides.

Other smaller but ferocious conflicts around the world show no signs of ending. Syria, Yemen, Libya, Mali, Burkina Faso and Central Africa are some of the regions witnessing prolonged fighting.  Contractors are actively taking part in these conflicts. If fighting were to break out in another another part of the world, and contractors join in, the wars would similarly continue for an inordinate period.

Also Read: Explained: What is Wagner Group and why it is fighting Russia

So, what we see is, in some ways, a military version of contracting multinational players for major sports tournaments like the English and European football leagues, India’s IPL where each team comprises players from around the world.  While a traditional India versus Australia test match would evoke national spirit, IPL games are completely shorn of it. The stakes are different and what matters is the commerce they bring with it. Replace cricket or football with a war and the results would be the same.

India’s Agnipath

India has so far not dipped its fingers into the system of outsourcing wars to private contractors. The closest was the Salwa Judum, a state-sponsored private vigilante group that was used to fight Naxalites. The Supreme Court eventually ordered it to be disbanded.

Also read: ‘Agnipath scheme in national interest’: Delhi HC upholds Centre’s scheme, dismisses pleas

But the country’s newly introduced Agnipath scheme for joining the Army may end up as a recruitment pool for private military contractors.  After all, under the scheme, only 25 per cent of those trained will be absorbed into the regular Army. The rest, with all the solid training, will be out of a job. They will naturally gravitate towards contractors as a way of using their abilities and earning good money.

If and when this happens, the consequences can potentially alter the character of Indian society. The immediate impact will be a rise in militarisation and the availability of military-trained personnel who can be used for a range of purposes – by military contractors and others requiring their skills for vested interests.

Wagner may be happening in distant Russia but what the private military ecosystem means for the rest of the world is fraught with damaging implications.