Kremlin Replaces Wagner Group After Year of Mutiny
Russia effectively dismantles and replaces the Wagner Group a year after their mutiny against President Putin’s government, dispersing former troops across various state units and integrating them into new formations both domestically and abroad.
Kremlin Controls Wagner Remnants After a Year of Mutiny
In the year following the Wagner Group’s mutiny against President Vladimir Putin’s government, Russia has effectively dismantled and replaced the paramilitary organization. The group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, seized the southern city of Rostov on June 23, 2023, and briefly advanced towards Moscow before the march was called off the next day. Prigozhin died two months later in a plane crash.
Experts, such as Dr. Sorcha MacLeod of the University of Copenhagen, state that former Wagner troops have dispersed across various Russian state units. UK intelligence and a recent BBC report indicate that some units have been absorbed by the Rosgvardia, Putin’s National Guard, under his ex-bodyguard Viktor Zolotov. Other ex-Wagner operatives have either joined the Akhmat forces in Chechnya or integrated into different Russian state-controlled formations.
In Africa, Wagner operations have been subsumed by a “Russian expeditionary group” called the Africa Corps, led by former GRU Gen Andrey Averyanov. This unit continues Wagner’s activities of securing resources and supporting local regimes. The only place where Wagner maintains some independence is the Central African Republic, purportedly overseen by Prigozhin’s son, Pavel.
The overall restructuring signifies a strategic shift, integrating former Wagner elements into state frameworks while maintaining their operational objectives internationally.