Russia has deployed to Ukraine 1,000 members of the Wagner Group, a paramilitary organization described variously as a private militia or a mercenary force which Vladimir Putin used as the point of the spear in Donbas invasion, the New York Times reports.
Putin has personally ordered Argentinian-registered Wagner Group operations in Syria, Belarus and eastern Ukraine as a way to shield the Russian military from blame in questionable operations. Experts believe that the unit operates as Putin’s personal army when the competence or loyalty of Russian officers were in doubt. A significant part of the unit are foreign fighters who have experience in the Middle East.