The Wagner Group, also known as PMC Wagner, was controlled by Yevgeny Prigozhin. It has been used as a proxy by the Russian government in military operations abroad. Wagner operatives have been accused of war crimes.
In February 2018, Wagner Group operatives led an assault on an oil field in Deir al-Zour Province, resulting in a battle with American and affiliated Syrian forces.
The head of the Wagner Group expressed intentions for their men to remain in Belarus for an extended period and criticized the situation on the frontline in Ukraine as a 'disgrace'. The footage was reportedly captured at the Tsel military base in southern Belarus.
On June 1, 2022, Prigozhin led a column of Wagner fighters to attack Ukrainian forces around the Vugledar power plant, resulting in a significant confrontation.
Yevgeny Prigozhin led a brief rebellion against Russia's top military command, demanding the ousting of the defense minister Sergei Shoigu and criticizing the management of the Ukraine war. The mutiny was called off after his mercenaries moved rapidly towards Moscow in a 'march for justice.'
Wagner forces crossed into Russia's Rostov Oblast from Luhansk and swiftly captured Rostov-on-Don, encountering no apparent opposition. They successfully took control of the Southern Military District headquarters, establishing a secure perimeter in the adjacent streets. Prigozhin was seen within the courtyard of the headquarters building. The Wagner forces fortified their position by planting landmines and establishing security checkpoints in the city center of Rostov.
10 billion RUB in cash found in Wagner offices was officially returned to Prigozhin, but no information was released on the whereabouts of the seized gold and white powder.
On 22nd August, Prigozhin shared his first video address since his aborted June mutiny. The footage showed him speaking in camouflage and holding a rifle, with claims that he was in Africa. He discussed Russia's involvement in making the continent 'free'.
In October 2022, Yevgeny Prigozhin publicly criticized Russia's Defense Ministry and admitted to being the founder of Wagner. He joined Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov in advocating for mobilizing members of the security and state services instead of civilians.
Yevgeny Prigozhin accused the Russian Defense Ministry of striking Wagner camps and launched an armed insurrection, leading to a rebellion against the Defense Ministry.
Prigozhin formally announced Wagner’s imminent withdrawal from Bakhmut, stating the group would turn over their positions to the Ministry of Defense forces.
The Wagner Group, a Russian government-funded paramilitary and private military company, staged a rebellion against the Russian Ministry of Defence due to increasing tensions and disagreements with their leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the nation, vowing to crush the rebellion led by Prigozhin. This highlighted the severity of the situation and the potential threat posed by the Wagner group's actions.
Vladimir Putin addressed the nation, rebuking the unnamed individuals who led the rebellion and characterizing Wagner commanders and fighters as predominantly patriots who were 'covertly used against their comrades-in-arms.' He confirmed that Russian servicemen were killed by Wagner, referring to them as heroes. Putin also stated that members of the group who do not wish to become regular contractors were allowed to transfer to Belarus.
The Wagner Group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, captured a Russian military headquarters, shot down Russian military aircraft, and marched towards Moscow, triggering a dramatic mutiny. The rebellion was sparked by an alleged attack on Wagner personnel by the Russian military, leading to a day-long standoff and negotiations with the Kremlin.
The BBC investigated and reported that recruitment centers using Russian phone numbers were still signing contracts with the Wagner group and not the Russian MoD. This suggests ongoing recruitment activities despite the recent events.
Poland announced the reinforcement of its border with Belarus by sending 500 police and counterterrorist forces, followed by an additional 1,000 soldiers and equipment.
On 5 July, the state television channel Russia-1 broadcast a program on Prigozhin and the Wagner Group, calling Prigozhin a traitor and adding that criminal cases against him over his rebellion were still ongoing. It published footage of what was supposedly Prigozhin's opulent residence. Images purportedly showing of Prigozhin wearing wigs and various disguises also surfaced on the internet.
On 12 July, the Russian Ministry of Defence said that the Wagner Group had turned over more than 2,000 pieces of military hardware, which included tanks, mobile rocket launchers and anti-aircraft systems. The Ministry also said it received 'more than 2,500 tons of various types of ammunition and about 20,000 small arms.'
On 13 July, the US Department of Defense assessed that the Wagner Group was no longer participating significantly in military operations in Ukraine.
On 14 July, the Belarusian Defence Ministry said that the Wagner Group had begun training soldiers in the country and released a video showing Wagner fighters instructing Belarusian soldiers at a military range near Osipovichi, about 90 kilometers (56 miles) southeast of the capital Minsk.
On 15 July, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine confirmed the arrival of the Wagner Group in Belarus, with an unconfirmed report saying that a convoy of some 60 Wagner vehicles had entered the country. It estimated that they had been deployed at least 100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border and put the number of mercenaries in the hundreds. Its spokesman said that they did not believe the deployment posed a serious threat to Ukraine but warned that Wagner could be used to destabilize the situation along the border.
On 21 July, Igor Girkin, who commanded separatist fighters during the War in Donbas and was convicted in absentia by a Dutch court for the MH-17 shootdown in 2015, was detained by the FSB according to his wife Miroslava, on charges of extremism. He had been an open critic of Putin and his generals' handling of the war in Ukraine and called for his overthrow earlier in the week. The RBC newspaper reported that his arrest was possibly related to a petition from a member of the Wagner Group.
On 23 August, Prigozhin and nine others including Wagner co-founder Dmitry Utkin were killed in a plane crash as his private jet traveled from Moscow to Saint Petersburg. Russian state-owned media agency TASS reported that Prigozhin had been on the passenger list of the flight. A Wagner-associated Telegram channel claimed the jet was shot down by Russian air defenses over Tver Oblast. The passengers' deaths were officially confirmed on 27 August, following genetic analysis conducted on the remains recovered from the wreckage.
Exactly two months after the rebellion, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, was killed in a plane crash along with other senior Wagner leaders.
This timeline outlines Yevgeny Prigozhin's movements after the failed mutiny of the Wagner Group. It sheds light on the aftermath and repercussions of the rebellion, providing insights into the leader's actions and decisions.