Wagner Group

The Wagner Group, formally known as OSM, is a Russian private military company that has fought on the side of the Syrian government during the Syrian Civil War. Between 2014 and 2015, they also fought in the War in Donbass against the Ukrainian pro-government forces. In addition, they were involved in the 2014 Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.The founder of the company is Dmitry Utkin, who holds Russia's Order of Courage. Up until 2013, he was a lieutenant colonel and brigade commander in the Spetsnaz GRU, a special forces unit of Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU). He was a member of the 700th Independent Spetsnaz Detachment of the 2nd Independent Brigade of the GRU. Utkin retired in 2013 and began working for the Moran Security Group, which was founded by Russian military veterans. The company carries out security and training operations around the world, specializing in security against piracy. The same year, senior Moran managers were connected with the formation of a St. Petersburg-based organization called the Slavonic Corps, which was looking for security contractors to "protect oil fields and pipelines" in Syria. Utkin was in Syria as part of the Slavonic Corps and survived its disastrous mission. The Wagner Group itself first showed up in 2014, along with Utkin in the Luhansk region of Ukraine. The United States Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on Utkin in June 2017.