Russian Private Military Companies and the Role and Functioning of the Wagner Group

Abstract

Taking as its starting point the phenomenon of private military companies, which are attracting ever greater attention in the public sphere, the study examines Russian private military companies. It focuses primarily on the development, operations and role of the Wagner Group as well as its activities in the military conflicts in Eastern Ukraine and Syria, with special emphasis on recent events, within the framework of which the Ukrainian security services have acquired a great deal of information pertaining to the company. In addition, and by way of conclusion, the study attempts to ascertain what is exactly the significance and role these days of companies such as Wagner, and how they differ from their Western counterparts.