The Wagner Group is a Kremlin associated private army , founded in 2014 to support Russian forces in Donbas region of Ukraine and has since only grown in power. The group was closely associated with the Russian Armed Forces until it led a military coup against the Defence Ministry amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. Yevgeny Prigozhin , the leader of the Wagner Group , publicly announced a march towards Moscow directly challenging the authority of Russian President , Vladimir Putin whom he was a close confidant of. In order to understand how these events transpired , we have to go and look from the beginning.
What is the Wagner Group and Why was it formed?
The Wagner Group for years was swathed in secrecy and operated in disguise. The group is believed to be founded by Dmitriy Valeryevich Utkin who named the group on his former radio call sign. The group appeared in 2014 as it fought alongside Russia backed separatists in Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The group is believed to be used by the Russian Government to hide the casualties and financial costs of its foreign interventions. The group had its presence in Syria , Africa , Mali etc. The group has been widely accused of committing several war crimes like rape , torturing etc.
Wagner Group’s role in Ukraine
The Wagner group has played a very significant role in the ongoing conflict against Ukraine as alongside the Russian Forces they captured the city of Bakhmut. The Wagner group provided some oxygen to the Russian Forces in its invasion of Ukraine which was at a stalemate. The group has almost 50,000 troops deployed currently at the frontline including convicts and mercenaries. The group claimed a little victory for the Russian Federation before the widely anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive began.
What went Wrong?
The Group’s leader , Prigozhin publicly accused the defence ministry and head of the army for deliberately undersupplying the Wagner units of ammunition and other military equipments. He even highlighted their incompetence citing the failure to capture Ukraine even after a year of the commencement of the special military operation. The order for mercenary groups to get incorporated into the Russian Army by the Defence Ministry in an attempt to exercise more control upon the private groups set the alarm bells ringing. On 23 June Prigozhin accused the top brass of deliberately bombing Wagner units which was seen as a direct challenge from the Russian Defence Ministry. The very next day he announced his private army’s march towards Moscow , a mutiny led by him to replace the leadership.
What Next?
Prigozhin ultimately retreated despite capturing the southern headquarters of the Russian Military and the tension de-escalated surprisingly peacefully without any bloodshed. All those who participated in the mutiny had their charges dropped and Prigozhin was exiled to Belarus. But this was the very first time in two decades that someone challenged the absolute authority of Vladimir Putin. The drastic escalation of events had even caught Putin off guard denting his image as an untouchable supreme leader. Moreover , the timing of the revolt amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine also hinders the progress of the Russian Forces. This would also hurt the already reeling Russian Economy hard hit by the sanctions as it creates a doubt amongst the investors whether the political leadership can assure them stability and security.
The situation is returning to normalcy but nobody knows what Future might unfold. There is already growing distress among the Russians facing economic hardships and conscription in the military. The attempted coup by Putin’s private army doesn’t help his case as it creates an atmosphere of uncertainty and safety concerns among the Russian masses.
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