Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
They are allegedly not fighting in Ukraine anymore.
They are allegedly not fighting in Ukraine anymore.
The Wagner Group
When the war in Ukraine broke ou in 2022, the Wagner Group quickly became a well-known, and feared, name all over the world.
Mercenaries doing Putin’s bidding
The group, officially known as PMC Wagner, is a private military company funded by the Russian state, and during the first year of the Russo-Ukraine war, it was controlled by Putin’s then-ally, Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Helped Russia take Crimea
Actually, the mercenaries of Wagner helped Russian seperatists as early as 2014-2015 by aiding in annexing the Crimean Peninsula.
The March on Moscow
Efter more than six months of fighting in Ukraine, Prigozhin started openly critizising the Russian leadership, Putin included, and it all culminated on June 23 2023, when Prigozhin launched a Wagner-led rebellion against Moscow.
An agreement was reached the following day, halting the rebellion.
The Plane Crash
In August 2023, Prigozhin and two of his commanders died in a plane crash in Russia, basically leavin ghte Wagner Group without leadership.
It is widely suspected that Moscow was involved in the plane crash, but it has never been proven.
So, where are they now?
British intelligence has released a report stating that the Wagner Group is still actively operating, but they do not seem to be fighting in Ukraine.
Instead, they are operating in the Cental African Republic and Belarus.
Other former operations of the group have been taken over by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The African Corps
In June 2025, a group known as “The African Crops”, which is a paramilitary group under the Russian Ministry of Defence, is said to have completely replaced the Wagner units in Mali.
2000 and 300 units
The British report concludes that The Wagner Group continues to operate independently in both Belarus and the Central African Republic with 300 and 2000 fighters deployed respectively.
