'Russia’s private military force, explained' by Vox for the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

I closed Biden visits Ukraine on Presidents Day with "The first anniversary of Putin's war on Ukraine beginning is this Friday and I might have more to say about it then." Vox did the work for me by uploading Russia’s private military force, explained last week.

Inside the Wagner Group’s playbook.
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On January 10, 2023, the Ukrainian town of Soledar was reportedly captured. But it wasn’t captured by the Russian army under Vladimir Putin’s command. The announcement came from a relatively unknown man, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who said his troops now controlled the town. The troops are part of the Wagner Group, a private army that has become a prominent force alongside Russian troops in the war against Ukraine.

But they aren’t new. They've been secretly fighting for Russia around the world since 2014. In this video, we take a look at their playbook and examine the three main steps they use to spread Russian influence around the world in brutal ways. We also look at how they’ve transformed from a ghost army to a recognizable private military group with insignias and an online brand, changing the nature of this secret group and its role in the world.

Wagner Group's "Little Green Men" aren't just fighting for Russian interests in Ukraine. They're also in Syria, Mali, and Sudan, a Russian proxy presence on three continents. Wagner Group's mining operations are also all over Africa. Now I'm wondering what the Chinese think of this.

I'm sure I'll be writing more about the war in Ukraine. Stay tuned.