What is the Wagner Group? Reporters’ deaths put spotlight on Russia’s shadowy private army

The Russian “Wagner Group” of mercenaries has once again been forced into the spotlight after the deaths in central Africa of three Russian journalists who were apparently investigating the activities of the private army there.

Wagner has been active in conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, and has sent mercenaries to the Central African Republic and Sudan, according to Western and independent Russian media reports as well as foreign governments.

Journalists Kirill Radchenko, Alexander Rastorguyev and Orkhan Dzhemal had flown to the strife-torn African country to report on Wagner’s operations, according to the Investigations Management Centre, the media organisation they were working with.

The trio was shot dead at a roadblock by a nine-man group, the CAR government said Wednesday.

In a statement on national television, government spokesman Ange Maxime Kazagui said the nine “wore headscarves” and did not speak in French or Sango, two languages that are nationally used in the CAR.

One of the journalists violently opposed the armed men, who wanted to steal their equipment, Kazagui said. One of the journalists died instantly and the two others died of their wounds, he said.

These details come from their driver, who was wounded but survived, he added.