The illegal in Russia private military company "Wagner Group" rose in popularity during the war in Ukraine. In The Wagner Group. Putin's Mercenaries documentary Ewa Galica talks to former Wagner Group mercenaries who fled to the West, disagreeing with the group's methods of operation. The film also features a Russian dissident who risks his life by revealing information concerning executions within the group, crimes committed by its members, and their contracts. The work contains previously unpublished footage of the Wagner Group members, shot during the fighting on the Ukrainian front.
“The Wagner Group. Putin's Mercenaries" sheds light on the activities of the Wagner Group, a private mercenary army created by Yevgeny Prigozhin, nicknamed "Putin's cook". Initially, the group guarded the interests of the Kremlin wherever Russia could not send a regular army. It operated in Africa and the Middle East, where it was famous for its brutality and ruthlessness. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the first defeats of Putin's army, they were engaged in operations at the front. The film features the Wagnerians, former mercenaries of the Wagner Group, who fled to the West, refusing to agree to its methods of operation. The document also features a Russian dissident who risks his life by revealing information about internal executions, new mercenaries and their contracts. The film is illustrated with previously unpublished recordings of Wagnerians made during the fighting on the Ukrainian front and the recruitment process of Wagnerians in Russian prisons documented with hidden cameras.
Produced in 2023