who is wagner army: Russia’s private army Wagner has begun efforts to oust President Vladimir Putin. The Wagner Group, the so-called private army of President Putin, has captured several cities after sounding the bugle of insurgency. Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner Group, has announced the overthrow of Putin and marched on Moscow. The Wagner chief claims to have captured the city of Bakhmut. The chief also claims that his army is advancing towards Bostov. The audio message said that he and his group are moving forward and will continue to move forward till the end. Threatened to destroy anyone who comes in our way.
On the other hand, the Russian army has increased security and put combat tanks on the road. Putin has warned the rebel group Wagner. The developments are seen as the most aggressive challenge to President Putin since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022.
What is the Wagner group and why are they fighting?
The Wagner group came into focus during the Russian-Ukrainian war. In fact, the group was formed with Putin’s consent. This group of fearsome fighters was created in Ukraine in 2014 in support of pro-Russian forces. The head of this group was President Putin’s cook. He created such a private army by selecting feared criminals in prison, which occupied many cities of Ukraine during the war. However, earlier it was a secret organization operating in Africa and Middle Eastern regions. The Wagner group is estimated to have 5,000 fighters from Russia’s elite regiments and special forces. The Wagner Group is known for its brutality and ruthlessness. He is credited with capturing the Donetsk region in January this year during the Ukraine war.
In December, the US believed that the Wagner Group had approximately 50,000 fighters inside Ukraine, including 10,000 on contract and 40,000 Russian prison inmates. Russia has denied the Wagner group’s role in Russian military operations. However, a Russian think tank clarified that Wagner had ties to the Russian state. Played a major role in Russia’s operations in Ukraine in 2014 and 2015.
Wagner Group is believed to have sent military aircraft to the civil war in the Central African Republic as well as Libya. Wagner was accused of killing civilians, attacking United Nations peacekeepers, and committing numerous atrocities, including the killing of unarmed people. The United States designated the group as an international criminal organization that committed ‘widespread human rights violations’.
