EVENTS

November 1, 2022

The Wagner Group and beyond: proxy Private Military Companies

On November 1, 2022, Jason Blazakis, Senior Research Fellow at The Soufan Center, provided witness testimony before a UK Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on ‘The Wagner Group and beyond: proxy Private Military Companies.’ The inquiry explored the challenge posed by Private Military Companies (PMCs) that some states use as proxies in conflict and to destabilize fragile countries. It also examined how the UK Government is responding. The inquiry focused particularly on the Wagner Group. “The Wagner Group has become instrumental in Putin’s ambitions,” noted Mr. Blazakis in his testimony, which included insights from The Soufan Center’s report on ‘Foreign Fighters, Volunteers, and Mercenaries: Non-State Actors and Narratives in Ukraine.’