The Role of Private Military Companies in the Russia-Ukraine War: A Threat to Global Security?
Private Military Companies (PMCs) are private sectors or organizations with military and security personnels that offer such as military services, combat operations, security services to governments, the private sectors, international organizations and non-state actors. Their notability has grown in modern conflicts especially in the Russia-Ukraine war, prompting debates regarding their implications to global security. As the war in Ukraine escalated after 2014, and the full scale-invasion of Russia in 2022. The role of Wagner in this conflict had influences of significant concerns to international threats. Russia-Ukraine war intensified the conflicts and assisted the proliferation of non-state actors, consequently proposing a serious threat to global security.
PMCs Affiliated with the Russian Government frequently due to provide and operational private companies services in order to spread and increase Moscow’s influence, expanding its military and intelligence footprint to secure natural resources and other economic benefits. PMC are appealing to Moscow because of lack of governmental responsibility for their actions, perceived expendability in comparison to Russian forces and lower prices. According to Article 359 of the 1996 Russian Criminal Code, “Recruitment, training, financing, or any other material provision of a mercenary, and also the use of him in a conflict arms or hostilities, shall be punished by imprisonment for a period of four to eight years.” The Wagner Group is not considered as a legally registered organization and not paying taxes for state, meaning they are not recognized as a Russian entity and does not officially exist.
During the Russia-Ukraine war, both sides deployed and it is estimated no more than 35,000 PMCs operators have engaged in combat. Therefore, a small number of soldiers is only just a quantitative indication and qualitative are different. Both sides of the PMCs played a significant role in operations such as Kyiv, Mariupol, and Bakhmut. In order to understand the status of PMCs in the middle of Russia-Ukraine War, it will be necessary to analyze the historical examples such as companies during military operations. The Wagner Group even took a leading role since they are only able to achieve tactical gains at the Russia-Ukraine front. Mercenaries from the Wagner group fought their way through into the Ukrainian village, by clearing building after building.
The increasing number of competitors is also pushing more Russian PMCs to chase valuable contracts beyond Ukraine. Wagner has already engaged in operations in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. Their essence spreads discomfort anywhere they go. Wagner personnels has committed crimes such as mass killings, rape, kidnapping, child abductions and torture in Africa, Syria, and Ukraine. The Wagner group expanded their presence into various regions. Countries in the Africa region such as Mali, by the withdrawal of French forces, supported the military junta to fight against the jihadist group. It has additionally been associated with international crimes and human rights violations in various countries including Syria, Sudan, Libya, and the Central African Republic.
PMCs’ engagement in the Russia-Ukraine war has escalated the conflict and represents significant threats to global security. Addressing these challenges requires the establishing of comprehensive international regulations governing PMCs. Reinforcing the primacy of international law, the long-term effects implications of PMCs, should explore global conflict dynamics as well as the effectiveness of existing regulatory frameworks in limiting their effects. As a result, it is evident that PMCs pose a threat to global security considering they operate without controls, transparency, and accountability. In order to avoid these high risks, The international community must not only build regulations, but they need to create systems that are useful for enforcement and monitoring. This implementation such as multilateral coordinations, contract transparency, and understanding the definition of PMC responsibilities are critical to prevent further destabilization for international peace and security.
References
Opinio Juris. (2023). Status of Private Military Companies Personnel under International Humanitarian Law: Implications for Prosecuting Members of the Wagner Group in Ukraine. Retrieved from https://opiniojuris.org/2023/11/14/status-of-private-military-companies-personnel-under-ihl-implications-for-prosecuting-members-of-the-wagner-group-in-ukraine/
The Guardian. (2022). Russia’s private military contractor Wagner comes out of the shadows in Ukraine war. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/07/russias-private-military-contractor-wagner-comes-out-of-the-shadows-in-ukraine-war
Global Guardian. (2023). The Wagner Group and Russian PMCs: Where Do They Operate and What Are the Risks? Retrieved from https://www.globalguardian.com/global-digest/wagner-group-russian-pmcs
Bauer, R., & Mueller, E. (2023, June 14). Ukraine is a breeding ground for Russian PMCs. RAND
https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2023/06/ukraine-is-a-breeding-ground-for-russian-pmcs.
Mercenary armies in the Russo-Ukrainian War | Militaire Spectator. (n.d.). https://militairespectator.nl/artikelen/mercenary-armies-russo-ukrainian-war
Doxsee, C. (2024, October 12). Putin’s Proxies: Examining Russia’s Use of Private Military Companies. CSIS.org. https://www.csis.org/analysis/putins-proxies-examining-russias-use-private-military-companies