Wagner Group under pressure

Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group is being forced to deploy more professional soldiers in Ukraine – many returning from postings abroad – to replace high losses of enlisted prisoners


Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of group, is businessman with close links to Vladimir Putin. Official PMC (private military company) Wagner Centre opens in St Petersburg in Nov 2022

Lieutenant colonel Dmitry Utkin – call sign Wagner – and mercenary squad take part in 2014 annexation of Crimea


1 UKRAINE: 50,000 members

2021
5,000 professionals

2023
10,000 professionals
40,000 convicts


CASUALTIES: *30,000 
Dead: 9,000

900 professionals
8,100 convicts

*Estimates


Serbia: Began recruitment in Dec 2022

RUSSIA 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Afghanistan
Recruiting former special forces fleeing Taliban


2 SYRIA: Supporting pro-Assad government since 2015. Up to 5,000 Wagner fighters in 2017

3 LIBYA: Fighting alongside General Haftar against government since 2016. Estimated 2,000 fighters as of 2021

4 MALI: Fighting jihadists after French withdrawal

5 SUDAN: Logistical base for Africa operations

6 CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

7 MOZAMBIQUE, MADAGASCAR: Believed departed


Sources: NY Times, BNN Pictures: Getty Images, Free Russia Forum
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