Support The Moscow Times!

Wagner Resumes Africa Recruitment After Prigozhin’s Death – Report

Corbeau News Centrafrique (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Russia’s Wagner mercenary group is once again recruiting fighters for deployment in Africa, months after the death of its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, the investigative news outlet Vyorstka and research group Nordsint reported in a joint investigation published on Thursday.

Wagner disbanded late last year and its fighters were transferred to units under the control of the Russian armed forces after Prigozhin launched a failed mutiny against Russia’s military leadership. In August, the mercenary chief and his close associates were killed in a plane crash that is widely believed to have been an assassination plot orchestrated by the Kremlin.

According to Vyorstka and Nordsint’s investigative report, anonymous Russian Defense Ministry sources say “several thousand” Russian soldiers have been transferred from Ukraine to Africa — both as mercenaries and regular soldiers — since mid-February. They were reportedly tasked with training local military personnel and other mercenaries.

At the same time, Wagner has posted at least 18 recruitment ads on its Telegram channel over the past month, with a message that reads“Wagner has a lot of work to do in Africa!” 

The investigative report identifies Mali as the key destination for Wagner’s new recruits.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke last week with the head of the Malian junta, colonel Assimi Goita, with the two leaders agreeing to step up cooperation in energy, agricultural and mining projects, as well as in counterterrorism.

Wagner was for years seen as an armed extension of Moscow’s influence in Africa, but the future of its overseas operations had been called into question in the tumultuous months after Prigozhin’s revolt.

Vyorstka reported that it had contacted a Wagner recruiter, who was quoted as saying: “Ideally, to get everything done within two weeks, we plan to send the next group [of Wagner recruits] in mid-April.”

The joint investigation revealed that Wagner is currently offering six-month contracts with a starting salary of 240,000 rubles ($2,600) per month, as well as life insurance for men aged 22-50. Those terms are similar to the ones promised to Wagner mercenaries who had been fighting in Ukraine.

Shortly before his death last year, Prigozhin said his military outfit was continuing its “activities” in Africa and Belarus, where the mercenaries were sent after their short-lived rebellion. 

“PMC Wagner… makes Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa more free,” the late mercenary leader said at the time. “We’re recruiting real heroes and continue to carry out the tasks that have been set and that we promised to deal with.”

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more