[News in War History] Why Does Russian Mercenary 'Vagner Group' Insist on Assault Tactics?

Over 40,000 Casualties, Calls for Tactical Changes in Russian Forces
Notorious 'Punishment Units' Since Imperial Russia
Prisoners Also Mobilized for War Since Ancient Times in China and Others

Editor's Note[News in War History] is a content series created to provide multifaceted perspectives on the constantly unfolding war and conflict news worldwide. Through 'News,' we first understand the current situation; through 'History,' we analyze the hidden meanings behind the news; and through 'Implication,' we offer insights into the near future. We visit you every Sunday, and after 40 episodes, the series will also be published as a book.

As the Ukraine war has passed the one-year mark since its outbreak, the mercenary company 'Wagner group' is emerging as a particularly influential faction within the Russian military. The group's leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, known as a close confidant of President Vladimir Putin, is gradually gaining more political influence.

The appearance of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary company. [Image source=Yonhap News]

He is notably recruiting prisoners convicted of serious crimes from prisons across Russia as new soldiers and sending them to the Ukrainian front lines. It is reported that over 40,000 casualties since the war began are prisoners recruited by him, indicating a large number of inmates responding to this call. Promising full pardons for all past crimes if they fight for their homeland, this prisoner unit is placed at the most dangerous vanguard, resulting in numerous casualties.

Moreover, the Wagner group has been demanding more aggressive tactics even from the Russian military forces they fight alongside, sparking controversy within the Russian military establishment. They have directly criticized the Russian army for incompetence and corruption, demanding increased support on the front lines. Despite having Putin’s close aide as backing, this mercenary company and prisoner unit, which does not hesitate to make excessive demands during wartime, raise questions about their origins.

◆News: Wagner Group Proposes 'Assault Detachment' Operation to Russian Army

The headquarters building of the Wagner Group located in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
[Image source=Reuters·Yonhap News]

Recent news related to the Wagner group shows that they are at the forefront of major battlefronts in the Ukraine war and are even proposing operations to the Russian military while demanding more support.

According to Newsweek on the 4th (local time), the Ukrainian military has noticed changes in Russian tactics and believes that some of these changes reflect the tactical proposals of the Wagner group. Newsweek reported that the Wagner group recently proposed the 'tactics of the assault detachment,' a tactic they have been using on the Ukrainian front, to the Russian army.

This tactic involves an assault detachment advancing forward with the expectation of heavy casualties to break through the front line. In situations like the Ukrainian front, where a solid defensive line has been established for months since September last year, this tactic can result in massive human losses. In fact, since the war began in February last year, the Wagner group has suffered over 40,000 casualties, accounting for more than one-third of the total Russian military casualties, indicating tremendous losses.

Nevertheless, the Wagner group insists that this tactic should be adopted by the Russian army because continuing a war of attrition while maintaining the current front line will lead to even more casualties. In a situation where a breakthrough is needed, the Wagner group and its leader Prigozhin strongly criticize the Russian army for merely conducting missile and drone strikes without moving the front line.

However, dissatisfaction is reportedly growing within the Russian military. The regular Russian army consists entirely of conscripted soldiers, each a valuable citizen, whereas the Wagner mercenary force is composed almost entirely of serious criminals, except for about 20% of the leadership and officers, making it possible to undertake highly dangerous operations.

◆History 1: The Infamous Soviet 'Penal Battalions' in World War II

The Soviet Penal Battalions formed in 1942 being deployed in combat. [Image source=russiabeyond.com]

In fact, deploying prisoner-based units during wartime is rare in modern times, which is why the recruitment and combat activities of the Wagner mercenary force have attracted global media attention. However, in Russia, this is not seen as unusual because since the era of Imperial Russia in the 19th century, armies composed of prisoners called 'Penal Battalions' have been frequently mobilized whenever wars broke out.

The first appearance of these penal battalions in Russia is said to have been during the war with Turkey from 1877 to 1878. At that time, the Russian army, suffering from manpower shortages, formed penal battalions by recruiting prisoners serving sentences in Siberian exile, offering reduced sentences in exchange for military service.

The large-scale conscription of penal battalions occurred in 1942 during the Nazi Germany invasion. The Joseph Stalin regime conscripted all able-bodied men to stop the indiscriminate advance of the Nazi forces, including prisoners among the approximately 34 million conscripts. The fate of the nation was at stake, leaving no room for hesitation.

These penal battalions literally gathered all prisoners in Russia?from death row inmates, political prisoners, murderers, to petty thieves. Numbering about 500,000, they were deployed in the most dangerous frontline operations, with over one-third, more than 170,000, reportedly killed. Some claim that including operations such as mine clearance and airborne units, their numbers exceeded one million.

Their tactics were similar to those of today’s Wagner mercenary forces. Penal battalions would charge with minimal armament to create breakthroughs, allowing elite units to exploit the gaps and launch surprise attacks. Consequently, few soldiers survived, and after the war, except for some who earned distinguished honors, most were not pardoned as promised.

◆History 2: Origins in Ancient China’s Qin Dynasty and Deployment in the Gojoseon Invasion

Statues modeled after soldiers from the ancient Qin Dynasty remain at the Terracotta Army pits in Xi'an.
[Image source=Getty Images]

These penal battalions are known to have been deployed in wars much earlier in China. In 209 BCE, after the death of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty, his successor Hu Hai ascended the throne, triggering widespread rebellions. Facing manpower shortages, the Qin dynasty formed penal battalions.

According to the historical record Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian) from the Han dynasty, the Qin court ordered General Zhang Han to form an army of 200,000 prisoners working on public projects around the capital Hanyang to suppress the rebels. These prisoners were mainly war slaves and civilians conscripted for various construction works. Zhang Han rigorously trained them and successfully quelled the rebellions nationwide.

Zhang Han and the Qin court promised to pardon these prisoners and send them home once the rebellions were suppressed. Trusting this promise, the prisoner unit grew stronger through battles. However, after Zhang Han was falsely accused of treason and surrendered to Xiang Yu of Chu, all these prisoners were reportedly buried alive.

During the subsequent Han dynasty, records also mention prisoner units. In 109 BCE, Emperor Wu of Han reportedly mobilized 50,000 prisoners to attack Wiman Joseon. These records indicate that in ancient China, prisoners were repeatedly used as vanguard forces whenever wars occurred.

◆Implication: No Winner in Human Wave Attacks

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

There are considerable concerns inside and outside Russia about the deployment of such penal battalions. Ultimately, these traditional assault tactics are a form of 'human wave attack,' consuming massive manpower. If there are not enough prisoners to place at the forefront, soldiers must be sent instead, and if soldiers become scarce, further conscription will be necessary, creating a vicious cycle.

Nonetheless, the Russian military, having yet to find a breakthrough, is expected to increasingly rely on the Wagner group’s tactics. The Russian army has been suffering continuous defeats in individual battles, caught in counterattacks by the well-defended Ukrainian forces. According to The New York Times (NYT), the Russian military suffered a devastating loss last month, losing about 130 tanks.

Some speculate that because Russia has a larger conscription-age population than Ukraine, this war of attrition might ultimately favor Russia. However, Russia is also facing severe labor shortages in its industrial sectors, making it difficult to sustain such attrition warfare. Despite possessing nearly twice the territory of the United States, Russia’s population of about 140 million is less than half that of the U.S., making repeated human wave attacks that result in massive personnel losses hardly a path to victory.