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☆ Former Russian mercenary commander fled to Norway and is willing to give evidence of its worst crimes in Ukraine, lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A former commander for the notorious Wagner Group fled Russia and is now seeking asylum in Norway. Andrey Medvedev left Russia fearful for his life after leaving the group, his lawyer told Insider. Risnes told Insider that Medvedev enlisted with the Wagner Group last summer. The Wagner Group, which is increasingly recruiting from Russian prisons, is alleged by a variety of organizations to have committed actions in Ukraine that would constitute war crimes. The Wagner Group has previously been deployed in Libya, Syria, and in other destinations across the world.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, center, with soldiers in what they said was a salt mine in Soledar, Ukraine in this image released on Jan. 11. By contrast, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov neither confirmed that Soledar had fallen to Russian forces or mentioned the Wagner group’s involvement in attempts to take it. Russia has consistently denied the involvement of the Wagner Group in its official military operations. Prigozhin during the funeral of Wagner group fighter near St. Petersburg, on Christmas Eve. To date, the hawks have been far louder than the pragmatists, and a chorus of hard-right bloggers have excoriated Russia’s military performance, while television pundits have called for a tougher approach.

☆ The financial prize of huge salt mines could have driven Russia's Wagner Group to sacrifice 1,000 men to capture the city of Bakhmut, says White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A White House official told Reuters that the head of Wagner Group wants salt and gypsum from Bakhmut. Mercenaries from Wagner Group, the private paramilitary group, have been fighting on the front lines in Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, along with Russian armed forces. The Wagner Group has paid a bloody price in the fighting around Bakhmut. Ukrainian soldiers walk to the frontline in Bakhmut, Ukraine on December 16, 2022. The Wagner Group, which is aligned with the Kremlin, has an active presence in several African countries.

☆ Putin ally Prigozhin grants freedom to first Russian convicts who fought in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Russia’s most powerful mercenary group, bade farewell on Thursday to former convicts who had served out their contracts in Ukraine and urged them to avoid the temptation to kill when back in civilian life. Wagner Group, originally staffed by battle-hardened veterans of the Russian armed forces, has fought in Libya, Syria, the Central African Republic and Mali as well as in Ukraine. After President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, Prigozhin emerged from the shadows and recruited thousands of men from prisons, offering them the chance of freedom in return for serving in some of the most dangerous battles in Ukraine. “Don’t booze too much, don’t take drugs, don’t rape women — (sex) only for love or for money as they say,” Prigozhin was shown saying to the former convicts, who laughed. “The police should treat you with respect.”“You have learned a great deal — first of all: how to kill the enemy,” Prigozhin told them on a bus.

☆ U.S. thinks Putin ally Prigozhin wants control of salt, gypsum from mines near Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A destroyed house is seen, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine January 5, 2023. REUTERS/Anna KudriavtsevaWASHINGTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - The United States is of the view that Russian President Vladimir Putin's ally Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is the founder of Russia's most powerful mercenary group, is interested in taking control of salt and gypsum from mines near the Ukrainian-held city of Bakhmut, a White House official said on Thursday. There are indications that monetary motives are driving Russia's and Prigozhin's "obsession" with Bakhmut, the official added. Prigozhin is the owner of private Russian military company Wagner Group. Reporting by Steve Holland; writing by Kanishka Singh; Editing by Leslie Adler and Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Exclusive: US says Russia's Wagner Group bought North Korean weapons for Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We can confirm that North Korea has completed an initial arms delivery to Wagner, which paid for the equipment. Last month, North Korea delivered infantry rockets and missiles into Russia for use by Wagner," the official said, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity. The Biden administration on Wednesday unveiled new curbs on technology exports to the Wagner Group in a bid to further choke off supplies to the contractor. The Wagner Group, staffed by veterans of the Russian armed forces, has fought in Libya, Syria, the Central African Republic and Mali, among other countries. "It is apparent that Wagner is emerging as a rival power center to the Russian military and other Russian ministries," the official said.

LONDON, Dec 19 (Reuters) - The Central African Republic, which adopted bitcoin as legal tender in April, said on Monday it had delayed listing its national cryptocurrency token, citing "current market conditions" and "marketing reasons." Asked about a government initiative to allow foreign investors to buy citizenship for $60,000 worth of Sango Coins, an unidentified moderator on the channel said "more updates about this will be made next month." Central African Republic, with poor access to the internet and electricity, became the first African state to make bitcoin legal tender in April, following El Salvador in September 2021. More than $2 trillion has been wiped off the cryptocurrency market since its peak in November 2021, according to CoinGecko data. Investors have been spooked by the collapse of several crypto firms, including major exchange FTX last month, rising interest rates and recession fears.

☆ Founder of Russian private militia accuses France in Central African Republic attack
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Dec 16 (Reuters) - The head of a Russian private militia accused France of attempting to assassinate the head of a Russian representative office in the Central African Republic, who was seriously injured on Friday after opening a mail bomb. Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the once-secretive Russian private military contractor Wagner Group, which has supported Central African Republic's (CAR) army since 2018 but gained wider attention with its role in Russia's war in Ukraine, blamed France for the attack. He said he had asked Russian Foreign Ministry to open the procedure for declaring France a state sponsor of terrorism. Prigozhin called Syty "a patriot of Russia and the Central African Republic". Last year, a United Nations report said Russian military instructors and local troops in the Central African Republic had targeted civilians with excessive force, indiscriminate killings, occupation of schools and large-scale looting.

☆ Russian Wagner founder accuses France of being behind attack on Russian official in CAR
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 16 (Reuters) - The founder of the Russian private military company Wagner accused France on Friday of being behind an assassination attempt on a Russian official who was wounded by a parcel bomb in the Central African Republic. "Before losing consciousness, Dmitry Syty managed to say: 'I saw a note: This is for you from all the French, the Russians will get out of Africa'," Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said in a statement posted on Telegram. "I have already applied to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation to initiate the procedure for declaring France a state sponsor of terrorism, as well as a thorough investigation of the terrorist methods of France and its Western allies - the United States and others," Prigozhin said. Reporting by ReutersOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Burkina Faso summons Ghanaian ambassador over Wagner allegations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

OUAGADOUGOU, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Burkina Faso summoned the Ghanaian ambassador on Friday morning for "explanations" after Ghana's president alleged that Burkina Faso had hired the Russian mercenary group Wagner, Burkina Faso's foreign ministry said. Burkina Faso has now entered into an arrangement to go along with Mali in employing the Wagner forces there," Akufo-Addo said, adding that it was a distressing development for Ghana. Akufo-Addo also alleged that Burkina Faso had offered Wagner a mine as payment. In a statement issued after the meeting with the ambassador, Burkina Faso's foreign ministry said it had "expressed disapproval" about the statements made by the Ghanaian president. Burkina Faso also recalled its ambassador from Ghana for a meeting, the spokesperson said.

☆ Burkina Faso aware of the dangers of Wagner force -France
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( John Irish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Speaking to reporters alongside U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday, Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo alleged that Burkina Faso had hired the mercenaries. Burkina Faso has now entered into an arrangement to go along with Mali in employing the Wagner forces there," he said. Prime minister of Burkina Faso in the last 10 days has been in Moscow. Officials from Burkina Faso did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Burkina Faso has not said publicly that it would consider hiring Wagner mercenaries.

☆ African former rebels recruited as mercenaries by the Kremlin-linked Wagner Group have been abandoned in Ukraine, a report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Kremlin-linked Wagner Group recruited mercenaries from the Central African Republic to fight in Ukraine. It is active in the Central African Republic, where it works with the country's military and helps to combat rebel groups. Hundreds of rebels from the UPC surrendered last December after the CAR government and Wagner group promised incentives and further military work if they switched sides, The Daily Beast said. Those who returned to the Central African Republic have also had trouble working with the Wagner Group. The former rebels speaking to The Daily Beast also said that dozens of their colleagues have mysteriously disappeared in the Central African Republic.

WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERSWASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - The United States on Friday designated China, Iran and Russia, among others, as countries of particular concern under the Religious Freedom Act over severe violations, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Blinken in a statement said those designated as countries of particular concern - which also include North Korea and Myanmar - engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom. The United States has expressed grave concerns about human rights in the western Chinese region of Xinjiang, which is home to 10 million Uyghurs. The other countries designated as countries of particular concern were Cuba, Eritrea, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Religious Freedom Act of 1998 requires the president – who assigns the function to the secretary of State – to designate as countries of particular concern states that are deemed to violate religious freedom on a systematic and ongoing basis.

☆ Mysterious aircraft dropped bombs near a base for Russia's Wagner Group mercenaries fighting in Central African Republic
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An unknown aircraft dropped bombs near a Wagner Group base in the Central African Republic. The Wagner Group is a Kremlin-linked private military contractor founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Specifically, in the Central African Republic, the Russian fighters work with the country's military. The International Crisis Group, a non-profit think tank, says up to 2,000 Wagner fighters are in the country and have helped to combat rebel groups. Additionally, Wagner fighters have been accused of atrocities in other African nations — like killing hundreds of civilians in Mali or committing war crimes in Libya.

☆ France's Macron accuses Russia of 'predatory' influence in Africa
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

PARIS, Nov 20 (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron accused Russia of feeding anti-French propaganda in Africa to serve "predatory" ambitions in troubled African nations, where France has suffered military setbacks and a wider loss of influence over recent years. "This perception is fed by others, it's a political project," Macron told TV5 Monde in an interview. France, the former colonial power in most of Western and central Africa, has longstanding military ties across Francophone Africa and French troops were stationed in Mali for a decade as part of a counter-terrorism operation. It has also been jockeying for influence with Russia in recent years, with the deployment of private military contractor Wagner Group in several countries, including in the Central African Republic (CAR) and in Mali. "It's done with the complicity of a Russian military junta," he said.

☆ Sledgehammer execution of Russian mercenary who defected to Ukraine shown on video
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 13 (Reuters) - A video purportedly showing the sledgehammer execution of a former Russian mercenary who switched sides to back Ukraine was circulated on Russian social media on Sunday, with pro-Russian bloggers saying it was revenge for his alleged treachery. In an unverified video distributed on Telegram channels which Russian media said were linked to the Wagner mercenary group, the man identified himself as Yevgenny Nuzhin, 55, and said he had changed sides to "fight against the Russians". Wagner group, originally staffed by veterans of the Russian armed forces, has fought in Libya, Syria, the Central African Republic, Mali and Ukraine, among other countries. Wagner has been recruiting convicts in Russian jails in recent months, according to a video which showed Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner mercenary group, speaking to convicts in a Russian jail. Asked to comment on the execution video, Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner mercenary group, said in remarks released by his spokeswoman that the video should be called "A dog receives a dog's death."

☆ COP27: What are they saying at the climate summit?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Nov 7 (Reuters) - World leaders, policymakers and delegates from nearly 200 countries are at the COP27 U.N. climate summit in Egypt, where they hope to keep alive a goal to avert the worst impacts of climate change. MIA MOTTLEY, PRIME MINISTER OF BARBADOS[1/4] Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres speaks during the COP27 climate summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt November 7, 2022. FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE"We have a credibility problem all of us: We're talking and we're starting to act, but we're not doing enough." MA'RUF AMIN, VICE PRESIDENT OF INDONESIA"One year after Glasgow, there has been no significant global progress. For this reason COP27 must be used not only to enhance ambition, but also implementation, including the fulfilment of support from developed to developing countries."

☆ World's female foreign ministers meet to back Iranians
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

We have a moral obligation to support them," Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said. The ministers will address the unrest ignited by Mahsa Amini's death last month in Iran while in police custody. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterTheir gathering "shows global solidarity for Iranian women and tells the Iranian regime that the world is watching," she said. Female foreign ministers from Germany, Chile, New Zealand and Norway were expected to attend, while another French official was expected to represent Paris, according to a Canadian government source. The female officials were set to hear from women of Iranian heritage and to discuss ways to coordinate efforts supporting Iranians.

☆ Putin ally admits he created the Wagner mercenary group linked to wartime atrocities: 'I cleaned old weapons myself'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Yevgeny Prigozhin admitted to founding the Wagner mercenary firm in 2014. "I cleaned old weapons myself," the billionaire, known as "Putin's chef," said in a statement. Prigozhin previously denied founding the group and sued those who reported on his Wagner ties. "From that moment, on May 1, 2014, a group of patriots was born, which later acquired the name PMC Wagner." Timothy Lay, a coauthor of the report, told Insider that Wagner's actions — including widespread looting — were akin to "criminal violence."

☆ Video shows the head of a shadowy mercenary group recruiting at a Russian prison, offering inmates freedom if they fight in Ukraine but death if they run
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-14 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wagner is a Russian private military company with close ties to the Kremlin that is now in Ukraine. In a video shared on Telegram, the group's founder can be seen recruiting at a Russian prison. Wagner's Yevgeny Prigozhin claims the men will receive pardons if they agree to fight in Ukraine. Prigozhin's offer to Russian prisoners — to fight in a conflict he bills as being far more difficult than the war Russia fought in Chechnya and Afghanistan — comes with other conditions beyond the threat of execution for deserters. In the video, Prigozhin says he's prepared to accept men between the ages of 22 and 50 but can accept younger recruits with the consent of their families.

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