The Status The Wagner Group

 

Through out the world a number of mercenary groups are active. The Wagner Group has become notable since the start of the Russia-Ukraine War. The death of Yevgeny Prigozhin has created questions about the Wagner Group's status. Accusations have been made that President Putin wanted him eliminated, but there is no evidence of this. Prior to his death, there was an attempt at a Wagner Group coup. A settlement was reached that was proposed by President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus. The forces would remain in his country and Yevgeny Prigozhin would be pardoned. The likely candidates for the assassination  could be Ukraine, Poland, or one of the Baltic states. An investigation has not been conducted so this remains mere conjecture. What the Russian government did determine was that Prigozhin did die in a plane crash.  The Wagner Group was not only active in Eastern Europe. Africa is another place of operation for the mercenary group. The Wagner Group has been active since 2014 and remains independent of the Russian government. The organization itself is listed in Russia as a private military company. Under Russian law mercenary groups are illegal. The Wagner Group has similarities to Black Water. The distinction between private military company and mercenary becomes blurred considering the majority are operating in war zones. The Wagner Group could either be disbanded or put into exile in Belarus. It seems unlikely that President Putin would arrest all members of the Wagner Group. Operations in  Mali, the Central African Republic, Sudan, and Libya are still active. The Wagner Group is being used by some leaders to fight terrorist organizations and armed insurgencies. The reward from this are gold mining contracts which generates wealth for the company. One option for the Wagner Group is to merge with the Russian military. Unless there is some crackdown on the Wagner Group, it will continue to function. The death of    Yevgeny Prigozhin creates a high level of tension and uncertainty. The Russian Federation might be more cautious in regards to the use of mercenaries and private military companies.