The Wagner Group is a private military company (PMC) believed to have ties to Russia, mainly made of veterans, convicts, and recruits. It gained international attention for its involvement in conflicts such as Ukraine, Syria, Libya, and the Central African Republic. Led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, The Wagner Group has been catering to Russia’s economic and military needs, such as extracting oil from many nations such as Syria or CAR, earning millions of dollars for Putin. Recently, due to the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Wagner Group has been assigned to fight in Ukraine alongside the public Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

The inner conflict happens as the Wagner Group outperforms the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, brewing rivalry and bad blood between Valery Gerasimov, the Russian army general serving as the Chief of the General Staff, and Sergei Shoigu, the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation.

https://www.oneindia.com/international/what-is-wagner-group-the-mercenary-force-that-rebelled-against-russia-3576412.html

Tensions rose as Prigozhin blamed Shoigu and Gerasimov for purposely sabotaging the Wagner Group by not providing them with the necessary ammunition and resources for the war. The internal conflict reached a boiling point as Prigozhin accused Shoigu again of ambushing Wagner Group soldiers in Ukraine and killing them, causing Prigozhin to turn around from the war and head back to Moscow, Russia, to protest. Putin himself has named Prigozhin’s movements a “revolution” and aims to stop this “backstab,” as he claimed in his latest speech.

Economically, this ongoing incident is hurting Russia’s economy, as seen in Moscow’s primary IMOEX stock market, dropping 2.5% in mere hours. Trade and sanctions are also being placed on Russian companies tied to the Wagner Group and the Russian Federation.

이정우 강남포스트 학생기자  webmaster@ignnews.kr

<저작권자 © 강남포스트, 무단 전재 및 재배포 금지>