본문 바로가기
bar_progress

Text Size

Close

What Is the Reality of the "Transnational Crime Organization" Wagner Group?

Activities Serving Russian Interests as a 'Tactical Tool'
Operating in 30 Countries Including the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyun-jung] Recently, as the United States designated the Russian private military company Wagner Group as a 'significant transnational criminal organization,' interest in the group's nature and the countries where it operates has intensified.


Accordingly, on the 21st (local time), The Washington Post (WP) published an article titled 'What is the Wagner Group?' providing a detailed analysis of the Wagner Group. According to WP, the Wagner Group has served as a 'tactical tool' conducting activities in conflict zones worldwide that align with Russia's political and financial interests. Contrary to the connotation of the word 'group,' the Wagner Group's structure is not a single company but rather a network of multiple organizations supplying mercenaries under the approval of the Russian government.


What Is the Reality of the "Transnational Crime Organization" Wagner Group? Wagner Group logo painted in downtown Belgrade, Serbia.
Photo by AFP Yonhap News

Although the Wagner Group became widely known after participating in the Ukraine war, their operational countries and scope are actually quite extensive. The U.S. think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) stated, "While the Wagner Group appears to be a private company on the surface, its management and operations are deeply connected with the Russian military and intelligence agencies," adding, "Currently, the group is active in about 30 countries."


Began Activities in 2014... Officially Acknowledged Only Last Year

The Wagner Group began full-scale operations during Russia's forced annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014. However, Russia remained silent about the group's existence for several years. Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the founder of the Wagner Group, publicly acknowledged founding the group only in September last year. He stated, "The mercenary company was created during the process of assisting pro-Russian separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine."


According to CSIS, the Wagner Group not only provided military training to pro-Russian rebels but also engaged directly in combat and intelligence missions, aiding Russia's annexation of Crimea. Subsequently, the group rapidly expanded its operational areas to the Middle East, Africa, and South America, including Syria, Libya, Sudan, Mali, the Central African Republic, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Venezuela. The Wagner Group has been involved in government overthrows and regime changes in host countries and has secured mining and logging rights. Additionally, the group employed Russian prisoners as mercenaries in the Ukraine war; the U.S. government estimates that about 50,000 Russian mercenaries have been sent to Ukraine through the Wagner Group.


U.S. Government: "Additional Sanctions to Be Imposed"

The United States imposed sanctions, including export controls, on the Wagner Group twice?in 2017 and last month?and also designated its leader, Prigozhin, as a sanction target.


John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House National Security Council (NSC), announced at a briefing on the 20th that the Wagner Group has been designated as a significant transnational criminal organization and that additional sanctions will be imposed. Kirby said regarding the criminal organization designation, "This not only sanctions the Wagner Group but also provides additional means to restrict the group's activities worldwide," adding, "Following this designation, next week we will impose additional sanctions targeting the Wagner Group and related networks across multiple continents." On the same day, he also released satellite images supporting allegations that North Korea sold weapons to the Wagner Group.


© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.

Special Coverage


Join us on social!

Top