Oddbean new post about login | logout 'in the #CAR or are there would be a bigger stake and it felt as if the presidency was quite comfortable with the #mercenaries who are already present because they have already built up relationship with them. In some ways symbiotic, but also parasitic. These are people who have already known the terrain, what it is that these leaders want. its lucrative on both sides. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct5hlb #Wagner #prighozin #TheGlobalJigsaw
'But ultimately it is also about a bigger partnership with #Russia because in as much as the #Wagner group is operating at the behest of the #Russian government, it's different from having an actual government to government deal.' 'the groups that are sort of affiliated with the #Prigozhin #propaganda machinery - Yerewolo, the collective of the defence of the military in #Mali , there is also Galaxea National in the #CAR (cont.) #TheGlobalJigsaw https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct5hlb
'their messages are also spreading out to the wider region, particularly Francophone #African countries. But any people who feel a sentiment of Panafricanism is what brings them together. But this is a radical form of PanAfricanism - they had been trumpeting support for the #Wagner group, for the #Kremlin 's geopolitical interests in the region and even drumming up support for #Russia throughout the #Ukraine conflict https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct5hlb #TheGlobalJigsaw
' #Wagner is no longer fighting in #Ukraine as a separate unit according to the Ukraine's military intelligence… And Wagner was actually one of the most efficient army units in #Russia. Wagner was better equipped than some of the regular Russian army units - it had his own tanks, air defence, aircraft…You can actually tell a lot about Wagner from what happened in #Bakhmut Wagner was ready to sacrifice as many lives as possible for its military goal… https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct5hlb #TheGlobalJigsaw
'They would send small infantry groups to try to attack #Ukrainian positions. And if these groups were killed, they would send another group and then another. So eventually, they succeeded in capturing #Bakhmut , but this came at a very big price. According to some reports, #Wagner lost half of its personnel - they started with 50,000 and ended up with half of that. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3t5hlb #TheGlobalJigsaw
' #Wagner is also known for its cruelty towards #Ukrainian s… This included women, children, elderly people, but of course, this is not the only #Russian unit to have killed civilians in #Ukraine .
As #Wagner built a reputation for cruelty abroad, its popularity skyrocketed back home, in #Russia 'At that time, wagner’s presence exploded online. Many fan groups appeared on social media, online marketplaces started selling knock off memmorabilia, like patches, flags, T shirts, etc. wagner recruitment ads for the first time appeared on #Russian streets. So outside of TV and maybe state newspapers, wagners presence grew exponentially' #TheGlobalJigsaw https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct5hlb
' #Poland , #Latvia and #Lithuania all share a border with #Belarus and they all took measures to increase border security. After reports emerged that #Wagner was being redeployed to Belarus, Lithuania closed two border checkpoints. Latvia and Poland sent additional forces to protect the border - Poland sent around 10,000 additional troops' https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct5hlb #TheGlobalJigsaw
'Then at the end of July, the #Polish PM announced that #Wagner was sending forces to the so called Suwalki gap, which is the Polish border with #Lithuania... #Poland remains a target for all kinds of #Russian intelligent activities. For example in August, there were around several hundred #Wagner recruitment posters that appeared in #Warsaw and #Krakow.' https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct5hlb #TheGlobalJigsaw
'So as long as Western weapons keep making their way to #Ukraine through #Poland, there will still be these kinds of attempts at destabilisation in Poland, be that through #Wagner or through disinformation or any other kinds of activities.' 'Wagner was one of hundreds of entities that #prigozhin had his hands on, ranging from private military companies to #propaganda to catering, which is where he made a lot of his money, to construction.' https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct5hlb #TheGlobalJigsaw
'you can look at the assets that really mean something to #Russia , there's two main areas. Its #propaganda and media operations and the guns for hire… There will be a real fight within the #Russian state to gain control of these assets… following the mutiny. We saw that his media holding patriot and the 11 websites under that brand name ceased operating so essentially access was blocked. By the Russian media regulator' https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct5hlb #TheGlobalJigsaw