Thousands of mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner group are now in Belarus, helping to train its soldiers.
Poland’s government is sending an additional 10,000 troops to the Belarusian border, saying it needs to guard against incursions by Wagner fighters.
And the BBC has learned that several prisoners recruited by Wagner to fight in Ukraine have been accused of committing serious crimes since returning to Russia.
What is the Wagner group and how big is it?
Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin says he founded the group in 2014.
A wealthy businessman with a criminal record, Prigozhin is known as “Putin’s chef” because he provided catering for the Kremlin.
In 2014, Wagner started backing pro-Russian separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, and is thought to have helped Russia annex Crimea.
Wagner forces are also active in Africa and the Middle East.
It’s thought that the group takes its name from the radio call sign of its first field commander – Dmitry Utkin.
Before the war in Ukraine, Wagner had an estimated 5,000 fighters – mostly veterans of Russia’s elite regiments and special forces.
However, Prigozhin said last June that its numbers had grown since the start of the Ukraine war to 25,000 fighters.
Although mercenary forces are technically illegal in Russia, Wagner registered as a “private military company” in 2022.
What did Wagner do in Ukraine?
Wagner was heavily involved in capturing the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut for Russia.
Ukrainian troops say its fighters were sent into attacks in large numbers over open ground, and many were killed.
In the weeks before Russia’s invasion, it is thought Wagner carried out so-called “false flag” attacks in Ukraine, to give the Kremlin a pretext for invading. These are attacks which one side carries out but blames on its opponent.
How many prisoners did Wagner recruit?
Prigozhin says Wagner has recruited 49,000 prisoners from Russian jails.
They were given pardons and 100,000 roubles ($1000, £800) each for serving for six months in Ukraine.
Prigozhin says 32,000 prisoners have returned, but independent researchers say that the numbers of survivors could be as low as 20,000.
The BBC has established that 20 former prisoners who fought for Wagner in Ukraine are suspected of having committed serious crimes, including rape and murder, since returning to Russia.
Why did Wagner troops stage a mutiny?
Prigozhin regularly criticised Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, and the chief of staff of Russia’s armed forces, Valery Gerasimov, over their approach to the war in Ukraine.
He also defied an order from the defence ministry to give it control of the group.
On 24 June, about 5,000 Wagner troops seized control of the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and moved towards Moscow, with the stated aim of removing the military leadership.
https://emp.bbc.com/emp/SMPj/2.50.4/iframe.htmlMedia caption,
Watch: Tracking Wagner’s day of rebellion… in 82 seconds
However, Prigozhin stopped the advance after negotiations with the Kremlin, which were mediated by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
Wagner fighters were told they could join Russia’s regular army or go to Belarus, along with Prigozhin.
What are Wagner’s fighters doing in Belarus?
Wagner fighters are now based at military camps in Tsel (pictured above), and at Brestsky, in the south of Belarus.
Belarus’ defence ministry says they are training its soldiers.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has said Wagner fighters have been moving towards the Polish border at Grodno, in the north-west of Belarus.
Poland’s government says it is sending 10,000 additional troops to reinforce its Border Guard.
The US military says Wagner troops in Ukraine are no longer “participating in any significant capacity” in the war.
Where else does Wagner operate?
Wagner forces have been hired to guard mines in the Central African Republic (CAR) and Sudan.
In Mali, in West Africa, the government uses them to combat Islamic militant groups.
The US says Wagner may be trying to gain a foothold in neighbouring Niger following the coup there in late July.
In Libya, Wagner troops are supporting the forces of General Khalifa Haftar.
Wagner’s mercenaries have also been in Syria since 2015, fighting alongside pro-government forces and guarding oilfields.
How does Wagner make money?
According to President Putin, Wagner was given 86.26bn roubles ($1bn) of government money between May 2022 and May 2023 to pay troops.
The US Treasury says Prigozhin’s private companies have made profits in many places where Wagner forces operate – in gold and diamond mines in the CAR and Sudan, and in oil and gas fields in Syria.
What crimes are Wagner troops accused of?
Ukrainian prosecutors say three Wagner mercenaries killed and tortured civilians near Kyiv in April 2022, alongside regular Russian troops.
German intelligence says Wagner troops may also have massacred civilians in Bucha in March 2022.
The UN and the French government have accused Wagner troops of raping and robbing civilians in the CAR.
In 2020, the US military accused Wagner mercenaries of planting landmines and other improvised explosive devices in and around the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
