Who are the Wagner Group- Russia's Illegal Soldiers

 by Isobel Firth

The Wagner Group is a private military company based in Russia, founded in 2014 by Yevgeny Prighozin, an Oligarch, and Dmitry Utkin a former officer of Russia's special Forces. The group's main purpose is to provide deniability for Russia's actions in various conflicts, including the ongoing civil war in Syria and the annexation of Crimea in 2014. They have also been described as Putin’s private army.

Before its creation, the Wagner Group's founders and members have been involved in various conflicts and multiple controversies that break War crimes and  the Fundamental Rights Act such as the use of child soldiers, extrajudicial killings, and the use of chemical weapons. They have also been linked to the assassination of Russian opposition figures and the attempted assassination of a Chechen leader.

Despite the controversies surrounding the Wagner Group, they have managed to remain active and continue to operate in various countries, including Syria, Libya and the Central African Republic. In which they would fight on the Pro- Russian government side. However, the group's activities have been widely criticised by human rights organisations, and the Russian government has denied any involvement with the group.

It is important to note that the Wagner Group's activities are illegal in many countries, and their actions have caused immense human suffering. In Ukraine their members have been accused of killing and torturing civilians outside Kyiv in April 2022, massacring civilians in Bucha in March 2022. The UN has accused them of Raping and Robbing civilians in the CAR. The US Government has accused them of planting landmines in Tripoli, Libya.  As a private military company, they are not accountable to the same standards as state-controlled military forces and do not have the same level of oversight. Therefore, it is crucial for the international community to record their actions and hold them accountable for any violations of international law.