Wagner uprising: A year after mutiny, Russia controls group’s remnants

In the days after the mutiny, Prigozhin was said to have cut a deal with Mr Putin to focus his group’s operations in Africa, propping up regimes and securing resources for Russia. Following his death, deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov reportedly toured African capitals, assuring officials that the services provided by the group would not dissipate.

Earlier this month the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) think tank observed that in the wake of Prigozhin’s death “the Russian state’s attention in [Africa] not only did not weaken, but strengthened”.

In February, the BBC obtained documents revealing that Moscow was offering a “regime survival package” in exchange for access to strategically important natural resources – an approach previously favoured by the Wagner Group.

The plan was being offered by a so-called Russian “expeditionary group” – nicknamed the Africa Corps – and commanded by former GRU Gen Andrey Averyanov. He previously oversaw secretive operations specialising in targeting killings and destabilising foreign governments.

Experts told the BBC that the Africa Corps has effectively replaced Wagner in West Africa. On Telegram, the unit boasted of offering recruits salaries of up to 110,000 roubles per year and service “under the leadership of competent commanders with extensive combat experience”.

In January, it announced its first deployment of 100 troops to Burkina Faso. Another 100 reportedly arrived in Niger in April.

Ruslan Trad, a security analyst with the Atlantic Council, told the BBC that, in effect, Wagner “became the Africa Corps and now serves the full purposes of military intelligence” and the ministry of defence.

“In Africa, these soldiers are doing much the same thing – guarding trade routes, securing resources that Moscow uses to circumvent sanctions, and more – serving local juntas and directing the flow of migrants,” he observed.

The PISM noted that the Africa Corps is intended to be used “more openly” than Wagner was on the continent with the intention of replacing Western – and particularly French – influence in Africa.

BBC Russian reported that only in the Central African Republic (CAR) is Wagner still operating in any shadow of its former shape, allegedly controlled by Prigozhin’s son Pavel.

“Moscow has given the heir the go-ahead to continue doing what his father did in Africa, on condition that it does not contradict Russia’s interests,” a source who used to work with Yevgeny Prigozhin told BBC Russian.