PMC Wagner

2024

Operation to evacuate the remains of fighters PMC "Wagner" in Mali

In October 2024, two and a half months after a major ambush by the Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam Val-Muslim (DNIM) group associated with al-Qaeda at the Wagner PMC, the company's forces carried out a successful operation to return the remains of the fallen fighters to their homeland.

Active events began on September 30, and their goals were not disclosed by both Malian and Russian sources. What was mistaken for the offensive attracted the attention of the Western media: along the route of the convoy, French media received satellite images to track its movement.

In addition, the Tuareg again mobilized their forces in order to follow the heels of the government troops and the forces of the Russian PMC. At this time, the Algerian authorities patronizing them, without waiting for the start of the next crisis associated with migrants from Tin-Zautin, strengthened the border, marking it with ditches in the desert.

Fighters of PMC "Wagner" drew conclusions from the July sad experience. Thanks to the use of mock-ups of equipment and the involvement of local militias who knew the area, the column skillfully avoided ambushes. After arriving at the scene of the battle on July 27, the remains of the dead were collected, and the area was mined, including with lures in the form of the allegedly fallen UAV "Cube."

In fact, the enemy was convinced of his intentions to storm their last stronghold, while they mistakenly accumulated forces near the Algerian border. At the same time, there is no talk of any "ransom" and "gestures of goodwill" from the Tuareg - it was possible to carry out the plan as a result of planned actions "on earth."

During the operation, difficulties arose only at the entrances to the city of Kidal, where the Islamists, having already figured out the plan, attacked the car of government forces with the help of an IED. But in general, the bodies of the fallen fighters were delivered to their destination, after which they would be sent to Russia.

The deaths of many fighters in a botched operation in Mali

Since July 20, 2024, the Mali Armed Forces, with the support of the Wagner PMC, have intensified intelligence and search operations on the Algerian border. The events were carried out by limited forces in order to identify the positions of militants from the Azawad Coordination Movement (CMA) and the Jabhat Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslim group affiliated with al-Qaeda.

On July 22, advanced groups raided In-Afarak: only fuel storage facilities were found in the village. After the retreat of the army, which managed to declare the capture of the village under control, the Tuareg rebels again occupied the settlement.

On July 22, 2024, the allied forces of the Wagner PMC and the Mali army received information that large groups of radicals from the CMA appeared in the Tin-Zautin area. To search for and eliminate the militants, 13 Assault Detachment was sent under the leadership of Sergei Shevchenko, the call sign "Pond."

Arriving at the site, the soldiers of the "Pond Group" and FAMa confirmed the intelligence information by finding a large cluster of CMA forces: militant units totaling about 100 people, as well as more than 10 pickup trucks with large-caliber weapons. Based on this, the command of the "Orchestra" decided to attack the Islamists.

In battle 13, the Assault Detachment of the PMC Wagner destroyed up to 50 radicals and six pieces of equipment. The remnants of the militants could not resist the orchestras and fled the battlefield.

On July 23, government forces reached Bugessa. As it moved towards the target, the convoy exploded on an explosive device planted by separatists in the Wadi Tamassahart Valley.

Between July 22 and July 25, the fighters of the "orchestra" in a sandstorm, despite everything, continued to search for radicals. Realizing that the Islamists would not stop there, the leadership of the Wagner PMC decided to transfer additional forces to the area. Taking advantage of the hitch, the militants tried to counterattack using all available means. The attack on the "musicians" was coordinated by field commander Abda-Rahman Zaza, who was at the head of the JNIM units that arrived to help the Islamists.

On July 25, government forces clashed with Azawad rebels 20 kilometers from the city. The first day of the battle brought its results: the militants managed to be pressed into the city at a distance of 7 km, and some groups reached a small camp 2 km from the Algerian border. One of the field commanders was also eliminated.

If there were seven dozen soldiers in the army column, then the rebels concentrated up to 900 people in Tin-Zautin, transferring reserves there. The battles that began were interrupted due to a sandstorm: the parties pulled the troops away from the line of combat contact.

Thanks to the skillful and competent actions of the 13th Assault Detachment, the radicals could not fulfill their plans. But in turn, the soldiers of the Wagner PMC suffered their first losses: several attack aircraft were wounded, including the commander of the Pond detachment.

Despite the sandstorm, fierce militant resistance and ambushes on the escape routes, the additional forces of "musicians" continued to move to the aid of their brothers. They fought their way through and hurried to the aid of their comrades.

Meanwhile, the personnel of the "Pond Group" and FAMa took up a circular defense and steadfastly repelled the attacks of superior forces of the CMA and JNIM: their number exceeded more than 1000 people. The soldiers of the detachment continued to fight, and the radicals did not slow down the pace of the attack and tried to suppress the "musicians" with a huge number of fighters.

Despite the dust storm, the crews of the MI-8 helicopters and the Wagner PMC MI-24 decided to move to the aid of their comrades. One combat vehicle was shot down by oncoming fire from the militants, but the crew of the second helicopter, despite the death of the commander and the injuries received by the co-pilot and flight technician, completed the task and returned to the base, making an emergency landing in Kidal.

Realizing the complexity of the situation and the likelihood of complete encirclement, orchestra commander Sergei Shevchenko, call sign "Pond," on the night of July 26-27, decided to exit in the direction of moving reserves. By this time, he had already been wounded twice and was in serious condition, but was leading the detachment, under the intensified attacks of the Islamists.

At the same time, militants from the Malian branch of Al-Qaeda entered the case: the Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslim group, apparently, acting together with the Azawad Movement, ambushed the Mali Armed Forces and PMC Wagner near the Tin Gamira mountains, mining the area.

Closer to four o'clock on July 27, the detachment reported losses among the fighters of the Orchestra and FAMa soldiers. In addition, the commander of the 13th Assault Detachment Sergey Shevchenko, the call sign "Pond," who continued to stand to the end no matter what, also fell in battle.

At 17:10 on July 27, the last radiogram was received from our brothers: "We continue to fight the three of us." She was sent by an assault platoon commander with the call sign "Nike."

After the explosion and attack of the Al-Qaidovites, Tuaregs arrived at the scene, squeezing the remnants of government and Russian forces. The battle ended with the defeat and capture of the survivors.

Among the killed fighters of the PMC "Wagner" was the administrator of the telegram channel @ gray_zone Nikita (call letters "White" and "Five Hundred"). His death was confirmed by friendly resources.

The number of losses is about twenty people.

Judging by the information from Bear on the couch, PMC Wagner, together with the African Corps @ KorpusAfrica, promptly negotiated the ransom of the prisoners, concluding two deals. Representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defense played a key role in the exchange process.

All fighters of the Wagner PMC who fell in battle will be awarded (posthumously).

Formation of 15, 16 and 17 assault detachments as part of the Russian Guard

As of January 2024, the Wagner PMC does not officially take part in hostilities.

Some of the "musicians" dispersed across all possible units. The "heirs" in the North Caucasus Military District in Ukraine are 15, 16 and 17 assault detachments (SE). It was reported that bureaucrats put sticks in the wheels.

While the decisions were being delayed, the soldiers of the 15,16 and 17 SHO built a camp, and later went to train the Rosgvardeys at training grounds. Everything was too long and some of the responders dispersed to other volunteer units.

After the adoption of the law on volunteer formations, the above SHO from the leadership of the Russian Guard was given permission to recruit fighters into their ranks.

The conditions are the same: the contract for SVO is 6 months, Africa is 9 months.

Each SE will include up to 2,200 fighters and will form the 1st Volunteer Corps of the Russian Guard.

According to preliminary forecasts, the 17th SHO is planned to be made a shock. 16 ShO will take part in the database together with other units of the Russian Guard, and 15 will become a reserve.

The symbols and attributes of the 1st Volunteer Corps of the Russian Guard have been changed and will differ slightly from the symbols of the Wagner PMC.

2023

Formed from the former fighters of the PMC "Wagner" detachment "Tuning Fork" fights near Bakhmut

To the west of Bakhmut, the tuning fork detachment formed from former fighters of the Wagner PMC in December 2023 is cleaning up the western outskirts of the cottages towards Ivanovsky (Krasnoye).

Participation in the liberation of Kidal in Mali

After several days of fighting in November 2023tg, the Mali army, together with the assault units of the African corps of the Wagner PMC, entered the impromptu capital of the Azawad Coordination Movement - the city of Kidal.

The capture of Kidal marks an important milestone in the military campaign of the Mali Armed Forces and the Wagner PMC against the Azawad militants. The end of the battle is primarily a symbol for the government of the country, wrote "Fisherman."

PMC units clean up the city limits and environs from the remaining gangs and strengthen the main artery connecting the city with the territories controlled by government troops.

The Mali Armed Forces, together with the fighters of the Wagner PMC, in November 2023 successfully cleared the area around the already former makeshift capital of the Azawad Coordination Movement - the city of Kidal. Despite propaganda from the separatists, the local population was happy to see the army and Wagnerites.

Minoborns force PMC fighters to leave Syria

On November 2, 2023, The Wall Street Journal, citing some of its own sources, reported that the United States had intelligence that the Wagner PMC was allegedly considering sending air defense systems SA-22 Hezbollah. True, the Pentagon did not confirm this information, but only stated that there was information, but they did not have reinforced concrete evidence.

It's all about the note that the Israelis sent via diplomatic channels to the Russian side a couple of weeks ago. So, according to the Israelis, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah allegedly called Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and allegedly asked to supply them with weapons. And Assad - again, allegedly - agreed.

So it or not is not so important, but this pretext was used to exert pressure on the remnants of PMCs in Syria, who really had one Pantsir air defense missile system near Palmyra.

As a result, the Pantsir air defense missile system was seized from the PMC and accepted into the balance of the Russian Ministry of Defense. And the entire private contingent of PMCs was forced to either sign contracts or collect things and go to Russia.

It is important that the PMC was in Syria by agreement with the Syrian government, respectively, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation could not affect the situation. But as soon as a magic note from the Israelis appeared, it was used as an element of pressure on the Syrians - and those process of forcing the PMC to transfer positions and weapons was agreed, Rybar wrote.

Departure of three assault detachments from Africa to Ukraine

According to Rybar, on October 2, 2023, three assault detachments of PMC Wagner from Africa fly to the SVO zone in Ukraine - from among the main "wagners."

The Council of PMC and Lotus commanders reached an agreement in principle with the leadership of the Russian Guard: before the New Year, not only individual, but also group agreements should be signed with the Company's fighters. And the group status should be quoted higher than the individual. This serves as a guarantee that PMCs will not be "torn apart." Flags and self-names allow you to save.

The financial conditions are in the "Volunteer Assault Corps" (DShK), which in the Russian Guard are about the same. Only choosing between Commander Troshev (call sign "Gray") and the usual commanders, most of the Company remains in the old ranks. Where exactly the PMCs will be transferred is still unclear (the DShK is located near Bakhmut).

Spontaneous memorial in memory of the commanders of the PMC in the center of Moscow who died in a plane crash

After the death in a plane crash of the head of the Wagner PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin and his associates in the center of Moscow on Varvarka Street, a spontaneous memorial appeared in memory of the victims.

Putin appointed Andrei Troshev as head of volunteer units in Ukraine

The President Russia Vladimir Putin appointed the former commander of the Wagner group as the head of volunteer units on September To Ukraine 29, 2023, according to the Kremlin's website. According to Putin, the detachments will perform "various combat missions."

We are talking about the part of the company that, together with Andrei Troshev (call sign "Gray"), broke away from the main forces of the PMC after the rebellion of Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Putin met with Andrei Troshev and Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov. Yevkurov visited several African countries this month.

According to the Kommersant newspaper, a few days after the end of the Wagner rebellion in June, Putin met with Prigozhin and his assistants, inviting them to continue hostilities under the command of Troshev, whom he called the call sign "Gray." Prigozhin said he would not go after others, and those behind him showed they would, the newspaper writes, without referring to anyone.

The first PMC units began to return to Bakhmut to conduct a counteroffensive on previously lost positions.

The basis is made up of fighters of the Ministry of Defense PMC "Redut" and "Volunteer Corps," which just included PMC units. In parallel, Troshev continues to agitate among PMC fighters involved in the Belarusian and African-Middle East directions.

The commander of the PMC with the call sign "Lotus" is negotiating the inclusion of fighters in the Russian Guard

The PMC command in the person of Lotus (the former deputy of the Ninth, and now the commander of the entire PMC) by September 2023 held negotiations with the Russian Guard on the inclusion of detachments under their umbrella. But one of the main conditions is the signing of individual contracts as with military personnel. And these will no longer be company fighters, but full-time servicemen who can be divided, sent in pieces to other directions and treated as they like in the interests of law enforcement agencies. In words, of course, they promised to prevent this, to allow the flags and chevrons to be preserved, but de jure it will not be fixed in any way.

That is why the issue of entering the Russian Guard has not yet been resolved: at the council of PMC commanders on September 22, no unanimous decision was made on this issue. Perhaps some of the fighters will agree to such conditions, but definitely not all.

Dmitry Syty works to preserve the group's operations in Africa

After Prigozhin's death, business school graduate Dmitry Syty is working to preserve the group's multibillion-dollar African operations. An elusive figure managing the gold and diamond businesses of the Wagner group.

In September 2023, T-shirts appeared on the streets of the capital of the CAR with the image of a bearded man with loose hair and an almost holy look. This is an image reminiscent of the revolutionary Che Guevara, 34-year-old Dmitry, the current frontman of the Wagner paramilitary group in Africa.

A Western-educated polyglot with deep knowledge of Wagner's companies and commercial networks, Fed is likely to play a key role, the WSJ wrote.

Logistics problems remain in the PMC outer loop. The command of the Russian Armed Forces at the Khmeimim airbase in Syria strongly recommended that the Syrians not land on board from Libya, the Central African Republic, Mali, and they obeyed the recommendations. Therefore, most likely, the logistics of PMCs will be revised, which will further increase the gap between the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and PMC Wagner.

The death of Prigozhin, Utkin, Chekalov and other members of the company in a plane crash

The head of the Wagner PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin was in a private plane that crashed on August 23, 2023 in the Tver region. As a result of the crash, everyone on board was killed.

Rosaviatsia: "According to the airline, the following passengers were on board the Embraer-135 (EBM-135BJ) aircraft:

• Propustin Sergey;
• Makaryan Evgeniy;
• Totmin Aleksandr;
• Chekalov Valeriy;
• Utkin Dmitriy;
• Matuseev Nikolay;
• Prigozhin Evgeniy;

Crew members:

• Levshin Aleksei, commander;
• Karimov Rustam, co-pilot;
• Raspopova Kristina, flight attendant.

The flight of the Embraer-135 (EBM-135BJ) aircraft was carried out on the basis of a permit for the use of airspace issued in accordance with the established procedure. "

Valeniy Chekalov, also known by the call sign "Rover," was one of the key people in the company. Even a short serial number in a closed connection was next to Prigozhin himself.

It was on him that the task of coordinating military and private aircraft for the supply and rotation of PMCs on long-distance lines lay, and after well-known events, the development of new logistics routes. In general, the company's well-built rear infrastructure, which largely became the merit of the Rover, allowed the PMC leadership to quickly transfer thousands of people from one country Africa to another to solve urgent combat missions.

The future of Russian influence in Africa and the Middle East directly depends on whether this unique system can be preserved, the Rybar channel wrote.

Prigozhin's speech in Africa about new tasks

The head of the Wagner PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin made a video message from Africa on August 22, 2023 and announced the resumption of the recruitment of people to conduct hostilities on the black continent.

According to him, PMCs will continue to fulfill their tasks in order, quote, "to make Russia even more great."

As a result, the PMC, as Prigozhin promised back in May (a month and a half before the rebellion), underwent reorganization by August and focused on fulfilling new tasks.

The last hospital of the Wagner PMC was closed in Anapa, through which 20 thousand people passed

On July 31, 2023, the last of the 28 existing hospitals of the Wagner PMC, which operated on the basis of the city's hotels, stopped working in Anapa. During the period of operation of these sites from July 2022 to July 2023, specialized highly qualified medical care was provided to more than 20 thousand people, including those who were seriously injured. Read more here.

Almost complete transfer of weapons and military equipment to the Russian Ministry of Defense

On July 12, 2023, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the Wagner PMC had almost completely transferred weapons and military equipment to the Ministry of Defense.

The amount of support for PMC Wagner reached 1.7 trillion rubles

In early July 2023, it became known that the total costs of the non-state armed formation of the Wagner PMC from 2014 could exceed 1.7 trillion rubles. This amount exceeds the average annual expenses of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for rearmament in the period from 2014 to 2020.

According to Sheets the newspaper "," PMC "Wagner" Evgenia Prigozhina within the framework of contracts concluded with the state during 2014-2023. received a little more than 858 billion rubles. At the same time, Prigozhin's holding "" Concorde provided services for 845 billion rubles. Thus, the total amount amounted to 1.703 trillion rubles. For comparison: the largest contract for the supply of 76 Su-57 fighters until 2027, concluded in 2020, is estimated at about 200 billion rubles. And the largest ten-year contract for the supply of 120 Ka-52 helicopters, signed in 2011, cost 140 billion rubles.

In general, defense spending in Russia in 2013-2021 ranged from 2.1 trillion to 3.8 trillion rubles a year. At the same time, the costs of the Ministry of Defense for rearmament are the largest item in the budget of the department. It is also said that the amount of 1.7 trillion rubles is almost twice the cost of maintaining Russian military personnel in 2021.

At the end of June 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that in the period from May 2022 to May 2023, the state provided PMC Wagner with 86 billion 262 million rubles: these funds went to "the monetary support of fighters and incentive payments." In addition, during the specified period, Prigozhin earned about 80 billion rubles through the supply of food for the military. Another 110 billion 179 million rubles, according to the President of the Russian Federation, were allocated PMC Wagner for insurance payments. At the same time, according to Prigozhin, his structure independently organizes medical care for all wounded fighters - from first aid to prosthetics.^[1]

Construction of a field camp and tank maneuvers in Belarus

July 3, 2023 appeared personnel of the construction of the Wagner field camp and tank maneuvers of the PMC in the Mogilev region of Belarus.

It is reported that the fighters have already deployed in Belarus and are practicing tank maneuvers, maneuvers with heavy equipment and assault actions. As previously reported, three bases for "Wagnerites" will be equipped in Belarus.

One of them is completed - this is a camp near Osipovichi.

Another base is likely to be equipped near Baranovichi. The media write with reference to relatives that for a couple of months the PMC fighters were removed from hostilities while they train the Belarusian military.

Suspension of regional recruitment centres

On July 2, 2023, PMC Wagner suspended the work of regional recruitment centers for a period of 1 month. It will be reported that the decision was made in connection with the move to Belarus.

President Putin met with Prigozhin and Wagner commanders

Putin on June 29, 2023 in the Kremlin for almost three hours held a meeting with Prigozhin and Wagner commanders. I listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for employment and combat use.

Wagner commanders told Putin their version of events, stressed that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state. The meeting was attended by 35 people.

Later, on July 13, 2023, Putin gave details about the meeting:

Putin: What really happened? Everything is very simple and obvious for Russian society. Ordinary Wagner fighters fought with dignity, so... The fact that they were drawn into these events is regrettable... I will say so, very carefully... On the one hand, at a meeting with them, I assessed what they did on the battlefield, and on the other hand, what they did during the events of June 24. The third - showed possible options for the further passage of their service, including combat use. That's all. And they met at three o'clock.

Kommersant: Can we assume that PMC Wagner will remain as a combat unit?

Putin: Well, the Wagner PMC does not exist! We do not have a law on private military organizations! It just doesn't exist! That is, if there is no law, then there are no PMCs. There is no such legal entity. There is a group, but legally it does not exist! This is a separate issue related to real legalization. But this is an issue that should be discussed in the State Duma, in the government. Not an easy question.

Vladimir Putin shared one story from the meeting. At it, he offered the Wagner commanders, whom, the president confirmed, there were 35 people at the meeting ("Well, you are in the Kremlin," he told them), several employment options, including under the leadership of their immediate commander with the call sign Seda. That is, the person under whose leadership the Wagner fighters have served for the past 16 months.

Putin: They could all gather in one place and continue to serve. And nothing would have changed for them. They would have been led by the same person who was their real commander all along. A lot of people nodded when I said it. And Prigozhin, who sat in front and did not see it, said after listening: "No, the guys do not agree with such a decision."

US imposed new sanctions against companies associated with PMC Wagner

At the end of June 2023, the United States introduced new sanctions against companies associated with PMC Wagner . The list includes:

•  CAR-based  diamond trading company Diamville, Midas Resources, a fossil mining and trading company  from UAE Industrial Resources General Trading.

• Russian LLC "DM." Also, Andrei Ivanov, born in 1983, fell under restrictions. He Washington also connects with the head of the PMC Prigozhin.

Military police detained the commander of the PMC branch in Syria

Russian military police detained the commander of the Wagner PMC in Syrian Essaouida, as well as three "high-ranking commanders" of the company at the Khmeimim-Al-Hadath airbase, citing sources. According to the channel, the police also came to the PMC representative offices in Deir ez-Zor, Hama and Damascus.

Ban on hiring criminals

PMCs will no longer be able to recruit criminals, said Krasheninnikov, head of the State Duma Committee on Legislation and State Construction, on June 26, 2023 According to the laws adopted by the State Duma, those under sentence will no longer be able to conclude contracts with PMCs, but only with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

Armed rebellion "March of Justice" to Moscow

Main article: History of Russia

On the evening of June 23, 2023, Yevgeny Prigozhin said that the Russian military attacked the Wagner PMC camp, killing "a huge number of fighters." He blamed the "military leadership" and promised a response. Later, the press service of the founder of the PMC issued a statement by Prigozhin, in which he clarified that his intention to "respond" is "not a military coup, but a march of justice."

The Ministry of Defense denied Prigozhin's allegations, calling them an "information provocation."

Soon, the FSB and the Prosecutor General's Office reported on the initiation of a criminal case against Prigozhin under Article 279 of the Criminal Code on the fact of organizing an armed rebellion. The FSB said that Prigozhin's statements and actions are actually calls for an armed civil conflict and called on PMC fighters to detain their leader.

On the morning of June 24, 2023, it became known that the Wagnerites entered Rostov-on-Don and blocked the headquarters of the Southern Military District, as well as a number of key buildings of law enforcement agencies in the city center, after which they moved further north along the M-4 highway.

More than 1000 units of Wagner PMC equipment moved to Moscow through the Voronezh region: tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, MLRS, trucks, buses and cars.

The first column (about 350 pieces of equipment) crossed the border of the Voronezh region immediately after midnight on June 24. The convoy had 9 tanks, 4 Tigers, MLRS Grad, a howitzer, dozens of trucks and hundreds of cars. This convoy later demolished a barrier from cargo and construction equipment 590 km M-4 Don, Baza reports.

At about 5:00, the 2nd column drove into the region, even more - approximately 375 pieces of equipment, it moved towards the city of Buturlinovka - to the military airfield.

At 7:00, the 3rd convoy drove into the Voronezh region - about 100 units: 3 tanks, 2 anti-aircraft guns, buses, trucks and cars. The column walked along the Don M-4 highway.

At 9:00, the 4th column of military equipment crossed the border of the region - 212 units.

During the movement along the convoy of the PMC "Wagner," the aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces worked out, after which the soldiers began to shoot down Russian aviation. During the day, aviation lost seven aircraft from the actions of the "Wagnerites," five of which did not carry any weapons. Among them are three Mi-8 MTPR - specialized scarce electronic warfare helicopters and an air control center based on an IL-18 aircraft with a crew.

According to preliminary information, more than 20 (twenty) pilots died.

Prigozhin later stated that the Il-22 plane was shot down by mistake. The families of the victims will be paid 50 million rubles.

Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the nation, calling the situation an armed rebellion and a stab in the back of Russian servicemen performing tasks in the SVO zone in Ukraine.

Later, on June 27, 2023, President of Belarus Lukashenko recalled: "The most dangerous thing, as I understood, is not what it was, the situation, but how it could develop and its consequences. It was the most dangerous. I also understood: a cruel decision was made (it sounded subtext in Putin's speech) - to wet. I suggested that Putin take his time. Come on, I say, we'll talk to Prigozhin, to his commanders. To which he told me: "Listen, Sasha, it's useless. He doesn't even pick up the phone, he doesn't want to talk to anyone.'

Lukashenko also spoke about the start of negotiations with Yevgeny Prigozhin. So, a significant role in organizing the negotiations belonged to General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, at the first stage the director of the FSB A. Bortnikov also participated.

"In addition to Yevkurov at the first stage and Bortnikov, the director of the FSB, no one participated in these negotiations."

"At 11:00 he (Prigozhin) instantly picked up the phone. That is, Yevkurov called him, gave him the phone: "Here, the President of Belarus is calling, will you talk?" - "I will be with Alexander Grigorievich." I hear their conversation. Picked up the phone. The conversation is euphoria. Eugene has complete euphoria. We talked the first round of minutes 30 in obscene language. Exclusively. The words of the obscene (I later analyzed) were 10 times more than normal vocabulary. He, of course, apologized and began to tell me with obscene words, "Lukashenka recalled.

"The guys are only from the front. They saw thousands of their dead guys. The guys are very offended, especially the commanders. And, as I realized, they very much influenced (I previously calculated this) Prigozhin himself. Yeah, he's like, you know, a heroic guy, but he was pressured and influenced by very much those who led the assault squads and saw those deaths. And in this situation, having jumped out of there to Rostov, in such a half-sad state I am conducting this dialogue with him "

"I say:" Zhenya, no one will give you either Shoigu or Gerasimov, especially in this situation. You know Putin no less than I do. Secondly, he is not the only thing to meet with you - he will not talk on the phone due to this situation. " Silent.

'But we want justice! They want to strangle us! We will go to Moscow! " I say, "Halfway through, you're just like a bug being crushed. Despite the fact that the troops (Putin told me about this for a long time) are distracted on the appropriate front. " Think, I say, about it. "No" is such a euphoria. "

"For a long time I convinced him. And at the end he said: "You know how you want to do. But don't be offended by me. The brigade is prepared for transfer to Moscow. And, as in 41, you read books, an educated, smart person, we will defend Moscow. Because this situation is not only in Russia. This is not only because this is our Fatherland. And because, God forbid, this turmoil would have gone throughout Russia, and the prerequisites for this were colossal, we were next. "

One of Prigozhin's demands was the resignation of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and head of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.

The rebellious march ended two hundred kilometers from Moscow, when, through the mediation of the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, the Russian authorities and Prigozhin managed to reach a compromise.

The head of the Wagner PMC said that the terms of the agreements suit them, the march is over and the soldiers are returning to field camps, after which the Wagnerites began to organize to leave Rostov-on-Don. According to some information, Alexey Dyumin, the governor of the Tula region, also took part in the negotiations.

At the end of the day, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that the criminal case against Prigozhin would be terminated, and he himself would "go to Belarus."

Compensation to the families of the victims up to 5 million rubles

The families of the dead Wagner servicemen in June 2023 said that compensation (and this is up to 5 million rubles ($60,000) per person, in addition to the salary not yet received) comes in cash. Many are told not to hand over the money to the bank.

72,095 servicemen and thousands of units of equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed

On May 27, 2023, the Wagner PMC report on the results of work at the front in Ukraine for the entire operation was published:

• The manpower of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was destroyed - 72,095
• Prisoners taken - 509
• Tanks destroyed - 309
• BMP destroyed - 566
• Destroyed BTR - 131
• Armored vehicles destroyed - 1134
• Cars destroyed - 2075
• Mortars and cannons destroyed - 3155
• ATGM/LNG destroyed - 300
• Self-propelled guns destroyed - 124
• MLRS destroyed - 83
• Destroyed air defense systems - 45
• UAVs destroyed - 282
• Destroyed aircraft - 5
• Helicopters destroyed - 4
• Destroyed electronic warfare/radar systems - 149.

The liberation of Artyomovsk and the death of tens of thousands of fighters

The commander of the Wagner PMC Dmitry Utkin is the man who revived the culture of assault units in the Russian army. The only holder of six orders of courage in history is the legendary Mr. Wagner.

By the beginning of February 2023, his brigade, taking into account the forces attracted from the K project, became a full-fledged corps, which was tasked with eliminating the Luhansk-Donetsk fortified area of ​ ​ the Armed Forces of Ukraine, where the small city of Artyomovsk (Bakhmut) became the center of general attraction, which acquired strategic importance for both sides in a short time. According to experts from the General Staff of the Russian Federation, one battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Bakhmut occupied the defense area 1.5 km in depth, which is half the current standard: the defense density was so high.

Utkin and Prigozhin are often accused of high losses among personnel, but at the same time they omit that at the time of Bakhmut's operational encirclement there were at once over 50 thousand personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine against 35 thousand personnel of the company.

At the time of the siege of Artyomovsk (Bakhmut), there were 35 thousand fighters in the ranks of the Wagner PMC, said the head of the company Yevgeny Prigozhin on May 23, 2023. For the entire time of the special operation in Ukraine, by this time, 50 thousand people had been recruited among the prisoners. 20% of them (10 thousand prisoners) - died in battles. Another 10 thousand full-time PMC fighters also died.

According to the results of the battle for Artyomovsk, the losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine killed - 50 thousand people, wounded - 50-70 thousand people.

1 year 3 months and 17 days went Bakhmut meat grinder, which became the longest battle of the special operation of Russia in Ukraine.

Utkin doctrinally reworked the idea of ​ ​ a fire shaft, called "roasting": before an active assault throw, combining the maneuver of small tactical groups with constant pressure on the enemy with the fire of rocket-propelled grenade launchers and drones, often without the use of heavy artillery, the oporniki were taken from a swoop. Wagner systematically overloaded the enemy's defenses, creating superiority in a narrow area, by reducing the width of the front due to the tactical properties of the terrain.

Utkin created the most combat-ready military formation in the history of modern Russia and conducted a military operation, which ended in a complete defeat of the enemy.

Financing of the company from the state budget: 86 billion rubles per year

According to Russian President Vladimir Putin (June 27, 2023), the maintenance of the Wagner PMC was provided by the state.

In the period from May 2022 to May 2023, the authorities paid the company more than 86 billion rubles from the state budget.

We saved the CAR from French inhumans: Prigozhin responded to the recognition by the French parliament of the Wagner PMC as terrorists

Head of PMC Wagner, May 2023: "What can be said about this. When we came to Central Africa, French soldiers drove soldiers into a room, and they drove children, 12-year-old girls, there. And the dogs were raping these girls. French soldiers sold organs, or rather, people were taken to organs and they were eviscerated there.

We saved an entire country called Central Africa, saved tens of thousands of lives from bandits, terrorists, and, most importantly, from the French who simply mocked them. Macron (President of France, approx. TAdviser) decided that PMC Wagner is a terrorist organization, and at that time in many countries of the world PMC Wagner saves a huge number of people from the French and Americans. And I save their prisoners, whom they themselves kill. As they say, do what you like in language, and do not give your hands the will. Therefore, the mouth will be opened - so that the rot is not in their expressions, rotten teeth with pliers can be removed - both to Macron and to all those who distinguish from themselves all the pathogenic muck. "

Conflict with the Russian Ministry of Defense over the shortage of ammunition in Ukraine

The conflict between the head of PMC Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin and military officials of the Russian Ministry of Defense on May 4, 2023 entered a new round - public accusations were made.

According to Prigozhin, on May 10, the PMC will leave Bakhmut, transferring the position of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. "Wagnerovtsy" will enter the rear areas to restore combat effectiveness.

At the end of May, Prigozhin directly opposed the abilities of Sergei Shoigu to head the Russian Defense Ministry. According to him, the ideal candidates for the post of Minister of Defense and Chief of the General Staff are Mizintsev and Sergei Surovikin. The defense minister, he said, should not be a "political figure," but should deal with the military machine.

Map of the company's activities in Africa

Lithuanian Parliament recognizes the company as a terrorist threat

In March 2023, the Lithuanian Parliament declared PMC Wagner a terrorist organization, stating that its members and mercenaries pose a security threat.

In the resolution, lawmakers also unanimously condemned the use of any mercenary groups created under the auspices of Russia to "commit acts of aggression in Ukraine." Lithuania called on other countries to join it and designate Wagner as a terrorist group.

2022

Getting started in Burkina Faso

At the end of 2022, rumors began to diverge about the appearance of PMC Wagner in Burkina Faso. Wagnerites really started working in the territory, but the Burkina Faso government has so far denied this fact, the Rybar channel wrote.

Payment for services in the CAR with income from gold mines

According [1] to Politico, the profit of Wagnerites from mining in the CAR may grow to almost $1 billion a year. The main emphasis is on the development of Ndassima gold mines in the center of the country.

Since the beginning of development, small mines have become a huge complex covering eight production zones.

At the end of 2022, PMC Wagner is the main military force ensuring stability in the CAR. Russian specialists are engaged not only in the training of local armed forces, but also advise the Central African authorities on economic and public administration issues. Therefore, the development of mining projects in the resource-rich CAR is seen as a fee for the provision of a wide range of services.

Political strategists and economists at the Wagner PMC were lobbying for the lifting of the Kimberley Process sanctions, which prevent the CAR from legally selling its diamonds on the international market, exploring new mineral deposits, looking for opportunities for investment and development, and also advised the local government on the development of domestic industry, up to the construction of cotton processing plants and the production of local beer from Russian wheat.

Repelling attack on Mali's Gao base

A major clash between PMC Wagner took place on the 20th of August 2022, when terrorists attacked a base in Gao in Mali with a group of 150 militants. The attack was repulsed by a special forces detachment of 20 people with the support of the "Wagnerites." The militants lost 70 people killed.

The presence of PMC Wagner not only increased the capacity for counter-terrorism measures, but also allowed the Malian government forces to once again take the lead in regaining control of the national territory.

Technology Center in St. Petersburg

PMC Wagner Center is a complex of buildings in St. Petersburg, which houses places for free accommodation of inventors, designers, IT specialists, experimental production and startup spaces working on technologies to increase Russia's defense capability.

Participation in a military special operation in Ukraine

For a long time, the very fact of the existence of the Wagner PMC was denied at all levels: news about the activities of the irregular formation was accompanied by the phrase "they are not there," denying the non-standard military formation well-deserved glory.

Everything changed with the start of a special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022: announcements of recruitment to the ranks of PMCs hang on shields in all major cities, it is easy to find vacancies on the Web, and interviews with "musicians" in the country's largest media.

2019: Unsuccessful operation in Mozambique

Since October 5, 2017, a jihadist uprising has raged in the Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado. The government, shackled by years of confrontation with militants and dissidents of the opposition Renamo party, was unable to cope with the threat and began to seek help abroad.

The main competitors were the unofficial Russian PMC Wagner and the Hong Kong security company Frontier Services Group of the famous American mercenary Eric Prince, who registered his local branch, FSG Mozambique Segurança, in July 2019 with his Mozambican counterpart Lucilla Matsinho. But in the end, PMC Wagner won the tender, and FSG terminated cooperation with the Mozambique National Oil Company and left the country.

It is believed that an agreement in principle on cooperation with the Russians was reached during the visit of President Filipe Nyusi to Moscow in August 2019, when, in addition, bilateral contacts through the military-technical cooperation were discussed. However, it is also true that the Russians succeeded largely due to dumping, significantly knocking down the price of their services.

Be that as it may, at the end of September 2019, 200-300 Russian mercenaries arrived in the country, accompanied by three combat helicopters. Payment for their services, presumably, was covered from the $880 million tax received by the government from the redemption of Andarko's share by the French oil and gas company Total in the Mozambique LNG project.

However, as a result of the autumn operations, it turned out that Russian mercenaries were completely unprepared for the realities of the partisan-terrorist war, vividly reminiscent of the modus operandi of the Nigerian Boko Haram (with which, by the way, PMCs from South Africa are also unsuccessfully fighting), wrote the telegram channel Zangaro Today. In addition, a relatively high level of combat training and equipment of Ansar al-Sunna and other jihadist groups operating in the province was an unpleasant surprise. Having lost over 10 people killed and beheaded in ambushes, they were forced to retreat south to the province of Nampula. The failure was also affected by the lack of mutual understanding with the corrupt Mozambican military, pursuing their own interests in the region.

Moreover, the presence of Russians raises numerous questions from local residents and journalists, largely because the authorities, who for a long time hushed up the very problem of the smoldering jihadist underground, did not bother to clearly explain to citizens the goals of Russian specialists. And parliamentary opposition leader Osufu Momadi has openly expressed outrage at the Russian presence in the region. In fairness, neither is Eric Prince, who some accuse of fomenting a jihadist rebellion to secure lucrative security contracts for the FSG.

In 2023, the media wrote that PMC Wagner ceased operations in Mozambique in 2019 a few months after the start due to economic disagreements with the local government.

PMC Wagner in Mozambique was later replaced by South African specialists from the Dyck Advisory Group.

2018: Death of a film crew in the Central African Republic

In July 2018, journalist Orkhan Dzhemal, cameraman Kirill Radchenko and director Alexander Rastorguev went to the CAR to shoot a film about the activities of PMCs. On their way to the filming location, their car was attacked by unknown armed men. Journalists died, money, equipment and documents disappeared from the scene of the murder of Russians.

2016: US and EU sanctions

The United States and the European Union accused PMC Wagner of violating human rights in the Middle East and Africa and imposed sanctions against the company, which were tightened after the start of the Russian special operation in Ukraine. Sanctions were also imposed in 2016 against Prigozhin, who was accused of having ties to PMCs.

In January 2023, the United States declared PMC Wagner a transnational criminal organization. In response, Prigozhin wrote a letter to the White House asking for clarity on what crimes the organization committed.

2015

Participation in operations in Syria, LPR and DPR

In October 2015, Fontanka reported on the recruitment of volunteers to the PMC and the participation of its fighters in ground operations in Syria, as well as in the conflict on the territory of the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics.

Training ground in the Krasnodar Territory

RBC magazine wrote about the training ground near the village of Molkino in the Krasnodar Territory, which began to be used, presumably, to train PMC fighters in mid-2015.

2014: Evgeny Prigozhin creates PMC "Wagner"

In September 2022, Yevgeny Prigozhin officially admitted that he had created the Wagner PMC in 2014:

In 2014, when the genocide of the Russian population of Donbass began, when Russia jumped into the last steam locomotive and managed to block the arrival of the Ukrainian army in Crimea, I, like many other businessmen, went to the training grounds where the Cossacks gathered, and tried to waste money in order to recruit a group that will go and protect the Russians.

But very quickly I realized that among all these "Cossacks" and other paramilitary comrades - half of the fraudsters, and half of those who took money, hired volunteers and sent them naked-barefoot to real death. Then I flew to one of the training grounds and did it myself. He himself cleaned the old weapon, dealt with the body armor himself and found specialists who were able to help me in this.

From that moment, May 1, 2014, a group of patriots was born, which later acquired the name BTG "Wagner." Solely thanks to their courage and courage, the liberation of the Lugansk airport and many other territories became possible, and the fate of the LPR and DPR radically changed.

After that, a long 8 years, during which every curious journalist and every shameless horseshoe poked at the sweaty underwear of PMC Wagner in an attempt to find a negative. These brave guys, who knew only one thing - to fight, to protect the disadvantaged, to stand to death on the side of good and justice, were always in a precarious position. They could not turn their backs on their favorite cause, in which they were professionals of the highest level, and sit on the bench of the unemployed. So, from the commander of the assault unit, who catches bullets and fragments every day into his rubbed body armor, you could go to the guards of some rebellious microoligarch, whose wife will force him to carry bags to the shops.

I am proud that I managed to defend their right to protect the interests of my country. There were hard and very hard times, every psina tried to splash their saliva on them, and as you know, and on me, attributing all non-existent sins and sins.

And now the time has come for revelation, I ask you not to be confused with the doomsday. These guys - heroes who defended the Syrian people, other peoples of Arab countries, destitute Africans and Hispanics, have become one of the pillars of our Motherland. Not a second without batting and without doubting, you need to live or die. Live by the rules, do what you have to do and be what will happen.

Now the answer to your question.

For a long time I walked away from the blows of many opponents with one main goal - so as not to frame these guys, who are the basis of Russian patriotism. And he won on this occasion in numerous courts, including abroad, because in any case there should always be a place for sports and matches must be won on the opponent's field. "

PMC was named "Wagner" in 2014 according to the call sign of the first commander of the unit, reserve officer Dmitry Utkin.

Notes