Since the onset of the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s Wagner organization has attracted global media attention, boosted its operational profile, and has been involved in some of the most intense fighting of the war. Wagner is often referred to as a private military company (PMC) or a mercenary group, however, it could more aptly be described as a paramilitary force that is closely linked and subordinate to the Russian government — it has also been categorized as a “semi-state security force.”

Wagner Group is a semi-autonomous tool of the Russian government that can be deployed abroad to extend Russia’s influence and further its interests while also providing some degree of plausible deniability and distance from the Kremlin as an alternative to direct military intervention. The exact details regarding some areas of its operations, particularly in Africa, are difficult to discern due to Wagner’s covert nature and its organizational structure “remaining deliberately obscure.”