The Wagner Group has confirmed its new role in Russia

The Wagner Group is back in action but its role in Russia may have changed drastically according to a new video message from the mercenary organization's latest leader. This is what we know about the Wagner Group’s resurgence.

In the first public video released by the Wagner Group since the death of former chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, the new leader of the paramilitary organization, Anton Yelizarov, stated that the group integrated with Russia’s National Guard (Rosgvardiya). 

Photo Credit: Telegram @wagnernew

Yelizarov explained the Wagner Group was “working for the good of the country” based on a translation of his comments from The Telegraph, and he also revealed that a new headquarters was being built to train new mercenaries. 

“We are building a camp, so that the new units [a volunteer unit]) that will be formed – which will become part of the volunteer corps of Russia’s national guard [Rosgvardiya] – can arrive and settle,” Yelizarov said in the video message. 

The UK Ministry of Defence dedicated its February 7th situation update in Ukraine to Yelizarov’s video message and pointed out that the new Wagner Group headquarters was being built at Kazeri Lageri and is known as “Cossack Camp.”

The ministry update also noted Yelizarov's revelation that the Wagner Group’s new headquarters was almost certainly located in Rostov-on-Don and likely co-located with the 150th Motor Rifle Division. But that wasn’t the most interesting thing ministry analysts pointed out. 

The revelation that the Wagner Group’s new headquarters would also be the new home of the Russian National Guard’s Volunteer Corps implicitly confirmed that the mercenary company was subordinate to Rosgvardiya according to the ministry update.

“Rosgvardiya is likely preparing a new Volunteer Corps formation of experienced Wagner personnel to reinforce Russia's war effort in Ukraine and expand Russian influence in Africa,” the Ministry of Defence’s reported.

“The Russian state highly likely authorized the construction of Wagner's new base and highly likely perceives that by subordinating Wagner to Rosgvardiya, it has removed any potential threat Wagner might pose to Russia's regime,” the update added. 

In November 2023, reports from Russian regional news outlet 59.RU based out of the city of Perm suggested the Wagner Group was recruiting again and that the mercenary group had become a part of the Russian National Guard led by Prigozhin’s son Pavel.

However, Business Insider later reported that the Wagner Group’s Perm social media accounts revealed the mercenary company’s recruiting had been suspended and added that no reason was given for the suspension. 

The fate of the Wagner Group has remained in limbo ever since its failed coup against Russian leadership in June 2023. Vladimir Putin cast the group as traitors following the coup, Reuters reported, and he ordered its members to sign an oath of loyalty to Russia. 

On August 23rd, 2023, Prigozhin and Wagner Group co-founder Dmitry Utkin were killed along with eight other people when Prigozhin’s private plane crashed north of Moscow while traveling to St. Petersburg. 

Unconfirmed reports followed that Anton Yelizarov, better known by his Wagner Group call sign ‘Lotus’ had taken over control of the mercenary group, a fact now undoubtedly confirmed by Yelizarov’s video message regarding the group's new headquarters. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @wagnernew

“Mr Yelizarov is a seasoned veteran of Wagner’s campaigns in Ukraine, Syria, Mali, and the Central African Republic," The Telegraph noted, adding that the new mercenary group's leader has been sanctioned by the European Union for leading the drive to capture Bakhmut. 

On February 1st, 2024, the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that Rosgvardiya was planning to incorporate the Wagner Group’s 15th, 16th, and 17th into its own Volunteer Corp after Putin signed a decree on December 25th allowing the national guard to form its own volunteer formations.

“Rosgvardiya will likely deploy its new volunteer detachments to Ukraine and Africa. Rosgvardiya is reportedly offering volunteers six-month contracts for service in Ukraine, and nine-month contracts for service in Africa,” the ministry’s update explained. 

“The incorporation of former Wagner assault detachments into Rosgvardiya's Volunteer Corps highly likely indicates that Wagner has been successfully subordinated to Rosgvardiya, increasing the Russian state's command and control over the Wagner Group,” the update added.