Investigation reveals Russian intelligence steering Wagner operations across Africa after Prigozhin’s death

Russia intelligence tightens grip on Wagner

Russia’s powerful intelligence network has quietly tightened its grip on the sprawling African operations once run by the Wagner Group, following the death of its founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a new investigation has revealed.

For years, the Wagner Group stood as Moscow’s most recognisable mercenary force — feared for its harsh tactics and repeatedly condemned by human rights organisations. Its fighters operated alongside national armies in countries such as Libya and Mali, while its political operatives orchestrated sweeping disinformation campaigns designed to cement Russian influence and undermine Western rivals.

After Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash in 2023, shortly after launching a brief mutiny against the Kremlin, Russia’s defence ministry moved swiftly to reorganise Wagner’s overseas footprint. Security operations in Africa were brought under a new structure known as the Africa Corps, signalling a shift towards more direct state oversight.

However, an investigation by a media consortium including Forbidden Stories and All Eyes On Wagner suggests that Russia’s foreign intelligence service, the SVR, has emerged as the real power behind Wagner’s political and influence machinery.

“The SVR has now taken over the most effective tool of the Wagner Group,” the investigation said. Reporting partners — including the Dossier Center, openDemocracy and iStories — found that close to 100 consultants are linked to Wagner’s influence arm, referred to internally as Africa Politology or “The Company”.

Between 2024 and 2025, teams were deployed to a broad range of countries, among them Angola, Argentina, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ghana, Libya, Mali, Niger and Sudan. Operations were also active in Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Cameroon, Benin and Namibia. The geographic spread underscores the scale of Moscow’s ambitions across Africa and parts of Latin America.

According to the consortium, “The SVR provides a layer of intelligence with information on specific topics, recruits sources, opens access and places key agents of influence in strategic roles.” The findings suggest a coordinated blend of political manipulation, intelligence gathering and media interference.

The investigation began after more than 1,400 pages of internal documents were anonymously sent to the editor-in-chief of The Continent, an award-winning pan-African outlet. The files — written in Russian — include strategy papers, staff profiles, operational updates, financial data and detailed accounts of disinformation campaigns conducted between January and November 2024.

Investigators confirmed the authenticity of 76 of the documents and verified their contents.

“The documents show that these operations combine political influence, disinformation and close ties to security services, going far beyond the usual practices in the sector,” the report said.

The inquiry also points to tensions within Moscow’s own power structure. At times, the SVR appears to compete with the defence ministry, which oversees military intelligence through the GRU. In other cases, the two are compelled to cooperate.

While the defence ministry assumed control of Wagner-linked operations in Mali, it did not take direct command of private military contractors in the Central African Republic. There, investigators said, “the SVR is called upon to help the defence ministry avoid hindering the activities of Wagner.”

(With inputs from AFP)