First paragraph will answer the questions “who was involved?” and “what happened?” russia has increasingly relied on the wagner group, a private military company, to bolster its forces in ukraine. uk officials estimate that the wagner group’s force has grown from 1,000 to nearly 20,000 since march 2022. allegations of serious human rights abuses by wagner mercenaries in the central african republic and mali have been reported, and wagner has been actively courting publicity to promote their brand.
Second paragraph will answer the questions “when did it happen?” and “where did it happen?” wagner has shifted from recruiting experienced former soldiers to relying on large numbers of poorly trained convicts since march 2022. yevgeny prigozhin finances wagner and his own ambitions through a lucrative $1bn (â£830m) catering contract with the russian state. wagner has opened a glitzy new headquarters in st petersburg, dubbed the “pmc wagner centre”. wagner has been actively courting publicity to promote their brand.
Third paragraph will answer the questions “how did it happen?” and “why did it happen?” wagner has been working in “operational lockstep” with the russian military and those who join wagner receive payment and have their sentences commuted after six months on the front line. families of those killed in action may not receive compensation. wagner released a video showing one of its members bludgeoning an alleged deserter to death. yevgeniy prigozhin is said to be profiting from wagner’s mercenary activities in africa, in exchange for mineral extraction rights. wagner has faced the same challenges and losses on the battlefield as the wider russian military, suggesting that its bark may be worse than its bite.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64050719?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA
