The Mystery Behind the Wagner Group

The far-reaching influences of Moscow’s band of mercenaries

14 February 2023

Christine Karelska

Future of Ukraine Fellow

The Wagner Private Military Company has been operating in Ukraine since 2014 when Russia illegally annexed Crimea and chunks of Eastern Ukraine. “Green men” without insignia caught the international community off-guard in its attempts to find an antidote to the Russian hybrid warfare, but not many expected them to grow and become Russia’s unofficial military arm across the globe.

However, the Wagner Group (PMC) has been thrown into the spotlight amid Putin’s invasion and has compelled the international community to reshape its approaches towards mercenaries.

The private army furthers Russian foreign policy interests in Syria, Libya, sub-Saharan Africa, Mali, Burkina Faso etc. But the picture is much bigger:

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Christine Karelska

Future of Ukraine Fellow

Christine Karelska is a Visegrad Insight Fellow as of 2022. She is also an alumna of the College of Europe in Natolin and the Democracy Study Centre in Kyiv. Her main specialization is the European Neighborhood Policy. Christine was an intern-analyst of the Public Association “Community Associations” in Odesa. Her main academic spheres of interest are security studies, international relations, gender equality and local governance. Currently, she is working as an Advisor on International Relations of the Vice Mayor of Odesa and as an Assistant to the Deputy of the Odesa City Council. Previously, she worked as a Project Manager of the Ze!Women movement aimed at gender equality and promotion of the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska’s projects in the Odesa region.

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