Wagner Group / Africa Corps (Russian PMC, post-2023)
Russian private military company founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin (2014). Documented mass civilian casualties. Prigozhin killed in 2023 plane crash following his June 2023 mutiny; rebranded as Africa Corps under Russian state control.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
+1 for documented mass civilian casualties in Africa, Syria, Ukraine; multiple national terrorist designations.
Profile facts
In context
Wagner Group conducted operations in Syria, Libya, Sudan, Mali, Central African Republic, and Ukraine. Multiple documented mass civilian casualty incidents and human-rights violations. Prigozhin's June 2023 mutiny ended with his August 2023 plane crash death; operations rebranded under Russian Defence Ministry as Africa Corps.
Recovery resources
- ICSA Helpline — International Cultic Studies Association — questions about high-control groups, referrals to cult-aware therapists, peer support.
- Freedom of Mind Resource Center — Steven Hassan's organisation — BITE Model assessments, exit-counselling resources, family education.
- ICSA Cult-Aware Therapist Directory — ICSA-maintained directory of licensed mental-health professionals with specific cult-recovery training.
- Combatting Cult Mind Control — Steven Hassan, 1988 (revised 2018). The foundational BITE Model book; CLCI Hub's core methodology source.
- Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships — Janja Lalich & Madeleine Tobias, 2006. Practical recovery workbook.
- Life After Hate / Exit USA — Support for those leaving violent extremist movements.
See the full curated list at /resources.
Legal cases & controversies
- Multiple national terrorist designations
- UN expert investigations
This profile is in progress — history, deeper BITE evidence and survivor voices are still being added. Contributions welcome via GitHub.
Timeline
- 2014Wagner Group founded by Prigozhin
- 2023-06Prigozhin mutiny
- 2023-08Prigozhin killed in plane crash
Sources
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. The search ↗ link runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.