Who is Wagner Group?

Russian President Putin accuses Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of private military group Wagner, of stoking an "armed rebellion" against Russia's army. 

Who is Wagner Group?

Yevgeny Prigozhi

The Wagner Group is a private military organization that emerged around 2014, toward the beginning of the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the Crimean Peninsula.

 It is run by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Dmitry Utkin, a former Russian officer

The group has tens of thousands of fighters and has been used in war zones across the world, including Ukraine, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Mali, Mozambique, and the Central African Republic

The Wagner Group describes itself as a "private military company"

However, it is believed to be closely enmeshed with the Russian security apparatus, although the Russian government has denied the connection.

The group has been accused of targeting civilians, conducting mass executions, and looting private property in conflict zones.

Ironically The U.S. designated Wagner a transnational criminal organization in January 2021.