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

With Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin vowing to “go all the way” to topple the military leadership in Moscow over its handling of the war and accusing his allies of shelling his troops, the world is keeping a close watch on how the events are unfolding in Russia.

Security has been stepped up in Moscow with critical facilities “put under reinforced protection”. Moscow’s mayor also stated that “anti-terror” measures were being taken in the Russian capital.

In a video posted on Telegram, Prigozhin announced that he was inside the army headquarters in Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia, and that his fighters controlled the city’s military sites. He had earlier claimed his forces had crossed into Russia from the Ukrainian front, saying he and thousands of his fighters were “ready to die”.

Also read: Putin in trouble as rebel mercenary fighters vow to topple Russian military leadership

What is the Wagner Group?

The Wagner Group, officially called PMC Wagner, is a private military organisation run by an ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin with tens of thousands of fighters, according to US officials.

The group was formed by Dmitry Utkin, a former Russian officer, and financier Yevgeny Prigozhin. The group came into existence in 2014 and was involved in the Ukrainian-Russian conflict in 2014, when Russia illegally annexed the Crimea.

In its initial days, Wagner Group was a secretive organisation with only about 5,000 fighters – mostly veterans of Russia’s elite regiments and special forces. The group has been active in Syria, Libya, Africa and the Middle East since 2015.

The Wagner Group was closely involved in Russia’s capture of the city of Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, which was witness to one of the bloodiest battles in Ukraine war. According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the group now commands over 50,000 fighters in Ukraine and has become a key component of the Ukraine campaign. The organisation even started recruiting in large numbers in 2022 because Russia had trouble finding people for the regular army.

Prigozhin’s company was called Wagner after the nickname of its first commander, Dmitry Utkin, a retired lieutenant colonel of the Russian military’s special forces. It soon established a reputation for brutality and ruthlessness. Western countries and UN experts have accused Wagner mercenaries of human rights abuses throughout Africa, including in Central African Republic, Libya, and Mali.

Also read: Russia says key Ukrainian city Bakhmut completely captured; Kyiv rejects claim

Why the Wagner Group has launched an offensive against Russia?

Mired in a feud with Russian defence ministry for months, Wagner chief Prigozhin on Saturday accused Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu of ordering a rocket strike on Wagner’s field camps in the Ukraine where its soldier are fighting on behalf of Russia against Ukrainian forces. He said that his troops would now move to punish Shoigu and urged the army not to offer resistance. He declared that this is not an armed rebellion, but a “march of justice”.

Prigozhin also alleged that the Chief of the General Staff, Gen Valery Gerasimov, scrambled warplanes to strike his convoys, which were driving alongside vehicles with civilians inside them. He claimed that his mercenaries even shot down a Russian military helicopter that fired on a civilian convoy.

Earlier, in a video released by his team last month, Prigozhin stood next to rows of bodies, he said, were those of Wagner fighters. He had accused Russia’s regular military of incompetence and of starving his troops of the weapons and ammunition they needed to fight.

Who is Yevgeny Prigozhin, the mercenary boss plotting a coup in Russia?

Yevgeny Prigozhin is a Russian oligarch who benefited from having President Vladimir Putin as a powerful patron. He is often referred to as “Putin’s chef” as he owns restaurants and catering firms that extend services to the Kremlin.

Prigozhin also owns the Wagner Group, a Kremlin-allied mercenary force that has come to play a central role in Putin’s projection of Russian influence in trouble spots around the world. The United States, European Union, United Nations and others say the mercenary force has involved itself in conflicts in countries across Africa in particular.

Wagner fighters allegedly provide security for national leaders or warlords in exchange for lucrative payments, often including a share of gold or other natural resources. In Ukraine, Prigozhin’s mercenaries have become a major force in the war, fighting as counterparts to the Russian army in battles with Ukrainian forces.

Also read: Russia launches exceptional air attack, pounds Kyiv with drones, missiles

Prigozhin moved into the global spotlight with Russia’s war in Ukraine. The mercenary force’s leader, who often projects himself as the one fighting many of the Russian military’s toughest battles, has now dared to embark on an open rebellion against the country’s military leadership.

Prigozhin and Putin go way back, with both born in Leningrad, what is now known as St Petersburg. During the final years of the Soviet Union, Prigozhin served time in prison — 10 years by his own admission — though he does not say what it was for. Subsequently, he owned a hot dog stand and then fancy restaurants that drew interest from Putin.

His businesses expanded significantly to catering and providing school lunches. In 2010, Putin helped open Prigozhin’s factory that was built on generous loans by a state bank. He also organised catering for Kremlin events for several years — earning him the nickname “Putin’s chef” — and has provided catering and utility services to the Russian military.