DISINFO: Wagner is a private military company with no links to the Kremlin
DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS
  • Outlet: geworld.ge (archived)*
  • Date of publication: October 13, 2021
  • Article language(s): Georgian
  • Reported in: Issue 263
  • Countries / regions discussed: Russia, Mali, France
Tags:
Foreign mercenaries Africa Terrorism

DISINFO: Wagner is a private military company with no links to the Kremlin

SUMMARY

The Mali government has appealed to the private military company Wagner for help. There are no links between Moscow and this company.

RESPONSE

Example of a classical denial of any involvement by the Kremlin with its proxy operational groups.

The denial of both the Russian State and Yevgeny Prigozhin of any link with the Wagner mercenary group is understandable since this activity is illegal and punishable according to article 359 of the Russian criminal code. The fact that this group has been able to operate at a very large and international scale for many years without prosecution proves that it benefits from high level protection. Moreover, its management and operations are deeply intertwined with the Russian military and intelligence community. For instance, it has been established that some members of the group use passports that have been issued for a special unit of the Ministry of Defence.

As András Rácz states: Wagner should be considered a proxy organisation of the Russian state rather than a private company selling services on the open market.

Read similar cases that there is no link between Russia and the Wagner despite what Germany and France say, that the Wagner Group is not supported by Russia, that News about Wagner in Libya distorts Russian policy.

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Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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