The Wagner Mutiny 

In News: The Wagner Mutiny

• Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of Russia’s Wagner Private Military Company, staged a short lived mutiny against the country’s defence establishment.
• On June 24, the Russian mercenary chief Prigozhin announced that Wagner Group’s troops have taken control of Rostov-on-Don, in southern Russia.
• He also launched a march of justice, with a convoy of armed men and armoured vehicles, towards Moscow. This rebellion was later called off.

What Is Wagner Group

• The Wagner Group first surfaced during Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
• Essentially a network of contractors that supply soldiers for hire, the group isn’t registered anywhere and its source of funding remains unknown.
  • The organisation’s owner and head is Yevgeny Prigozhin.
• Apart from Ukraine, Wagner Group is reportedly also active in West Asia and several countries in Africa.
  • When Putin decided to invade Ukraine in 2022, Prigozhin and his Wagner Group was at the heart of Russian operations.
  • As the Russian advance stalled, the Wagner’s manpower became increasingly important.
  • The organisation was accused of being involved in the massacres, rape, and torture of civilians in Ukraine’s Bucha that took place in March 2022.
  • According to media reports, it provides its services to different governments often in exchange for access to gold and diamond mines.