Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1488818
- there is no other option. A criminal organization of that scale could only act on its own in a disorganized country, where the authorities do not yield any control - and this is not the case for Russia. The only option here is that the Group's activities have been approved and are supported by the authorities. I know this may sound trivial, and it has already been concluded so. Nevertheless, this matter needs to be outlined, before we move on to issues that are far more convoluted. Private or not? Not only isn't the Wagner Group private, but it is also not homogeneous. The brand is somewhat of a concept that had to be agreed upon. No business using that name has been legally registered in Russia. The Wagner Group is not paying taxes, it is also not registered as an employer. Formally, the Wagner Group simply does not exist. It, however, is present on the battlefield, with patches designating the group being worn by the mercenaries. If anybody would be willing to dive deep into the papers, it would turn out that the group consists of numerous businesses, companies, and branches, across multiple states. None of these entities relate to the word Wagner, and none of them deals with the recruitment of mercenaries. They deal with logistics in Russia, and beyond, food supplies, production, provision of the security detail, commerce, and so on. Apart from the above, this empire also includes specific businesses dealing with geology, or conventional and online media outlets. There are numerous businesses gathered within the group, and the mercenaries sign a plethora of contracts, concerning different jobs, in several different locations. Different businesses deal with supplies for the mercenaries, others handle transport, other companies assign foreign postings, while relevant media (including the Federal News Agency, with some daughter media outlets associated in other countries) provide information coverage, camouflaging the Wagner Group's activities with something completely different than war operations. Summing it up, neither is the Wagner Group a private, nor governmental military company, if we follow the Western definition. Neither are the activities of the Group limited by the law, by the official state organs, or by society. No limits exist for it whatsoever, except for the will of those who stand behind that empire. The existence and life of this organized crime group are also completely dependent on the people remaining at the very top in Russia. And now we may just attempt to comprehend why an entity like that is even needed. Having a well-financed military and SOF component at hand, why would one need to have an extra, unofficial army at his disposal? Mafia State It is often said that Russia is saturated by corruption. But what does it mean, in practical terms? How can one understand the extent to which corruption is a problem for Russia? States can be generally divided into those that fight corruption and bribery as a problem, and those where the issue runs so deep, that it is no longer an issue, it is a solution. And those can be referred to as the Mafia States, where corruption is a management method, acting as an element that www.fragoutmag.com