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Where the world is explained. Making sense of the big stories - looking behind the spin

Where the world is explained. Making sense of the big stories - looking behind the spin.

Where the world is explained. Making sense of the big stories - looking behind the spin. Exploring the important questions about long-running stories and the latest global news. An honest, unvarnished, explanation of the world. Episodes from The Explanation, Unspun World and The Global Jigsaw.

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The Explanation: What is the Wagner Group?

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24/06/2023 GMT

What is the Wagner Group?

BBC World Service - The Explanation, What is the Wagner Group?

The mercenary organisation's operations have extended to many nations, but who are they?

The Wagner Group has been linked to conflicts around the world. Andrei Goryanov explains who they are, where they have been and how aligned they are with President Putin.

The Wagner group has been linked to military conflicts around the world, but who are they?

The Russian mercenary organisation is believed to have been founded nearly 10 years ago, but ramped up recruitment in recent years, particularly since the beginning of Russia's war in Ukraine. According to the UK Ministry of Defence, it now commands 50,000 fighters in Ukraine alone, but is said to have links to other parts of the world, particularly in many African nations.

BBC Russia’s Andrei Goryanov has been based in Riga, Latvia since the BBC Russian Bureau relocated after the invasion of Ukraine. He explains who the Wagner Group are, where they have been and how aligned they are with President Putin and his government.

Presenter: Claire Graham
Producer: Owen McFadden

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