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What is Russia's Wagner group, and where are its fighters? What is Russia's Wagner group, and what has happened to its leader?
(14 days later)
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.
Wagner still recruiting despite mutiny, BBC finds
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.
Yevgeny Prigozhin with mercenaries in UkraineYevgeny Prigozhin with mercenaries in Ukraine
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. The leader of the Russian mercenary group Wagner is thought to have died in a plane crash in western Russia.
How many prisoners did Wagner recruit? Yevgeny Prigozhin staged a failed mutiny against Russia's military leaders in June and went to Belarus afterwards, with hundreds of Wagner fighters.
Prigozhin says Wagner has recruited 49,000 prisoners from Russian jails. The group's future is now very uncertain.
They were given pardons and 100,000 roubles ($1000, £800) each for serving for six months in Ukraine. What is the Wagner group and how big is it?
Prigozhin says 32,000 prisoners have returned, but independent researchers say that the numbers of survivors could be as low as 20,000. Prigozhin said he founded Wagner in 2014.
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. Although mercenary forces are illegal in Russia, Wagner registered as a "private military company" in 2022.
Mercenary chief seen recruiting Russian convicts Prigozhin was a wealthy businessman and convicted criminal, known as "Putin's chef" because he provided catering for the Kremlin.
Russian convicts freed to fight accused of new crimes Wagner's first field commander was Dmitry Utkin, a former officer in Russia's special forces. He confirmed recently that the group was named after his radio call sign.
Why did Wagner troops stage a mutiny? Most Wagner mercenaries initially came from Russia's elite regiments and special forces, and the group was thought to be about 5,000 strong.
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. However, in 2022, Prigozhin recruited prisoners from Russian jails to fight for Wagner in Ukraine, in exchange for pardons. In June, he said there were 25,000 Wagner fighters.
He also defied an order from the defence ministry to give it control of the group. The group has also been operating in Syria, Mali, the Central African Republic, Sudan and Libya.
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. What do we know about the plane crash?
Russian aviation officials said Yevgeny Prigozhin and nine other passengers died when a private plane flying between Moscow and St Petersburg crashed in the Tver region, north of Moscow, on Wednesday evening.
Dmitry Utkin was also on the passenger list.
Wagner supporters have been paying tribute to Prigozhin and Utkin outside the group's offices in St Petersburg and (pictured) Novosibirsk
Russian authorities are investigating the crash.
There has been huge speculation about what happened. UK defence sources have told the BBC that Russia's FSB intelligence agency is most likely to have been responsible.
Russia plane crash: What we know so far
Was Prigozhin a dead man walking?
Rosenberg: Wagner defied Putin, now its leader may be dead
What did Wagner do in Ukraine, and why did it stage a mutiny?
Wagner troops were heavily involved in the fighting for Bakhmut, a city in eastern Ukraine, which they captured for Russia in May 2023.
During the battle, Prigozhin repeatedly criticised the Russia's army chief, Valery Gerasimov, and its minister of defence, Sergei Shoigu, for under-supplying Wagner's troops, many of whom were injured.
In June 2023, some 5,000 Wagner fighters staged a mutiny. They occupied the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and marched on Moscow, with the stated aim of ousting Gerasimov and Shoigu.
Prigozhin halted the advance after making a deal with Russian President Putin, which was negotiated by Belarus' leader Alexander Lukashenko.
Putin said Wagner's fighters could either join the regular Russian army or go to Belarus with Prigozhin.
US military intelligence has since been reported as saying that there are probably no Wagner troops left fighting in Ukraine.
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Watch: Tracking Wagner's day of rebellion... in 82 seconds
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.
Why are there tensions on the Belarus-Poland border?
Images have emerged which appear to show Wagner fighters training Belarusian soldiers at a base south-east of Minsk
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.
Wagner members have been operating in Syria
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 interests do Russian mercenaries have in Sudan?
US sanctions boss of Wagner group in Mali
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Russian Mercenaries: Inside the Wagner GroupRussian Mercenaries: Inside the Wagner Group
Russian Mercenaries: Inside the Wagner GroupRussian Mercenaries: Inside the Wagner Group
What crimes are Wagner troops accused of? What has Wagner been doing in Belarus?
The Polish government has been reported as saying there are probably between 3,500 and 5,000 Wagner mercenaries in Belarus.
Images emerged which appeared to show Wagner fighters training Belarusian soldiers at a base south of Minsk
They are thought to be based at military camps in the south of the country, at Tsel and Brestsky.
Belarus' defence ministry says they are training the country's territorial forces.
What has Wagner been doing in Africa?
In a speech to Wagner mercenaries in Belarus in July, Prigozhin said the group would "set off on a new path - to Africa."
An estimated 1,000 Wagner fighters have been in Mali, in western Africa, since December 2021.
They were hired to combat armed Islamist groups, replacing the UN and French peacekeeping forces which had previously operated there.
Wagner forces have clashed several times with a group linked to al-Qaeda called Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin.
In a recent video recording, apparently filmed in Africa, Prigozhin said: "We're making life a nightmare for ISIS [Islamic State] and al-Qaeda and other bandits."
US sanctions boss of Wagner group in Mali
CAR's president was on the campaign trail in December with a bodyguard alongside him, thought to be a Wagner mercenary
There are an estimated 1,000 Wagner fighters in the Central African Republic (CAR).
The UK government says they operate behind a front organisation called the Officers Union for International Security.
That group's leader has said it is training soldiers in CAR to fight rebel forces, and has been helping to protect supply lines to cities.
A Wagner company called Midas allegedly makes money from gold mining in the country.
People thought to be Wagner fighters have been pictured amongst soldiers in Sudan
Video evidence suggests Wagner has been in Sudan since 2017, providing military training and helping to crack down on protestors.
In 2017, Sudan's government awarded gold mining contracts to Prigozhin's company, M-Invest. In July 2020, the US imposed sanctions against the company and its subsidiary Meroe Gold.
What interests do Russian mercenaries have in Sudan?
In Libya, Wagner troops are supporting the forces of General Khalifa Haftar.
Wagner's mercenaries have also been in Syria since 2015, supporting pro-government forces and guarding oilfields.
The US Treasury says Wagner companies have made profits from oil and gas deals there.
What crimes have Wagner fighters been accused of?
Ukrainian prosecutors say three Wagner mercenaries killed and tortured civilians near Kyiv in April 2022, alongside regular Russian troops.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.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 similar devices in and around the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
In 2020, the US military accused Wagner mercenaries of planting landmines and other improvised explosive devices in and around the Libyan capital, Tripoli. In July 2023, the UK sanctioned Wagner's businesses in Africa, accusing it of "executions and torture in Mali and the Central African Republic and threats to peace and security in Sudan".