According to reports, various mercenary groups, including Redut, Slavonic Corps, and E.N.O.T., have been observed participating in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Redut, also known as Redut-Anti-Terror, is one of the prominent groups and was among the first to engage in the conflict.
Some members of Redut have been implicated in war crimes during the invasion, and it is believed that the group is controlled by Russia's defense ministry, with funding coming from oligarchs associated with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Other Russian conglomerates, such as Lukoil and Gazprom, have their own security forces originally established to protect their facilities in the region and abroad.
Soldiers from Potok, a mercenary group linked to Gazprom, expressed dissatisfaction with the conditions on the Ukrainian battlefield.
Another group, E.N.O.T., was formed in 2011 to organize militias in Ukraine's Donbas region and has been active in Syria as well. There have been reports of child soldiers being used by E.N.O.T., and its training camps in Serbia were closed in 2018 due to allegations of child abuse.
Despite the presence of various paramilitary groups in Ukraine, the Wagner Group, founded by Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin and former special forces officer Dmitry Utkin, remains a powerful force.
Even after Prigozhin's recent attempted mutiny against Putin, the Wagner Group continues to be Russia's dominant mercenary fighting force. It is believed that the group is now establishing training camps in Belarus after taking refuge there following the failed coup.
According to Rebekah Koffler, an intelligence expert, and author, the attempted coup was a "false flag operation" orchestrated by Putin to consolidate his power. She suggests that Putin has strategically positioned combat-ready Wagner units near Ukraine's northern border, preparing for a potential second front.
Despite the tensions between Putin and Prigozhin, they remain strong allies. Prigozhin is considered a highly influential and loyal figure to Putin, and he has not been denounced by the Russian leader.
