Inside the Wagner Group’s playbook.

Subscribe and turn on notifications 🔔 so you don't miss any videos: [ Ссылка ]

On January 10, 2023, the Ukrainian town of Soledar was reportedly captured. But it wasn’t captured by the Russian army under Vladimir Putin’s command. The announcement came from a relatively unknown man, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who said his troops now controlled the town. The troops are part of the Wagner Group, a private army that has become a prominent force alongside Russian troops in the war against Ukraine.

But they aren’t new. They've been secretly fighting for Russia around the world since 2014. In this video, we take a look at their playbook and examine the three main steps they use to spread Russian influence around the world in brutal ways. We also look at how they’ve transformed from a ghost army to a recognizable private military group with insignias and an online brand, changing the nature of this secret group and its role in the world.

Sources and further reading:

Candace Rondeaux’s detailed report about the Wagner Group can be found here:
[ Ссылка ]

For a summary of Syria’s ongoing conflict, we recommed this brief overview by CFR:
[ Ссылка ]

If you’d like to understand France’s role in Mali in more depth, check out this Q&A by CSIS:
[ Ссылка ]

And to get a more detailed understanding of Wagner’s arrival in Mali, including additional satellite imagery, check out this CSIS investigation:
​​[ Ссылка ]

For a more in-depth look at the mass grave linked to Wagner Groups in Mali, you can read and watch France 24’s coverage here:
[ Ссылка ]

This UN report (in French) provides an overview of the human impact the conflict and the Wagner Group have had on civilians in Mali:
[ Ссылка ]

You can find the full transcript of the 2017 meeting between Russian president Vladimir Putin and then-president of Sudan Omar Al-Bashar here:
[ Ссылка ]

This investigation by OCCPR reveals the links between Wagner’s gold mining ties and Sudanese military companies in detail:
[ Ссылка ]

To understand how the Wagner Group brands itself and shows up online and around the world, we checked Prigozhin’s telegram account here:
[ Ссылка ]

And Reverse Side of the Medal, the Wagner Group’s unofficial telegram account:
[ Ссылка ]

Make sure you never miss behind-the-scenes content in the Vox Video newsletter, sign up here: [ Ссылка ]

Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out [ Ссылка ]

Support Vox's reporting with a one-time or recurring contribution: [ Ссылка ]

Shop the Vox merch store: [ Ссылка ]

Watch our full video catalog: [ Ссылка ]

Follow Vox on Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Follow Vox on Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Follow Vox on TikTok: [ Ссылка ]

свернуть