Russia uses private military companies (PMCs) internationally and domestically to support policy goals without committing conventional forces. Russian PMCs are privately-owned fighting forces that take a variety of forms. Many are not formally registered companies and may take the form of nationalist and patriotic groups or personal militias, some of which are formally subordinate to the Russian Ministry of Defense. Others are registered as private security companies, whose purpose is to provide security services to corporations and individuals. The scope of their activities varies as well: some, such as the Wagner Group, engage in a wide array of commercial enterprises and political influence operations, while others are more narrowly focused on their security and combat role. Despite their structural and ideological differences, PMCs typically work to further Russia’s interests abroad while offering a basis for plausible deniability of Russian state involvement.
Following the Russian annexation of Crimea in February 2014 and full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, PMCs have become increasingly visible abroad. Several PMCs are supported either formally or informally by extensive commercial operations in industries such as resource extraction and can serve as a channel for revenue earned overseas to enter the Russian economy, sometimes in circumvention of sanctions. The quasi-legal status of PMCs and their connections with foreign companies and governments make them a particular risk for sanctions evasion.
Related Sanctions and Export Restrictions
Entities operating within this sector have been targeted with asset freezes by the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, and Australia.
Entities within the sector have also been the target of export restrictions by the European Union, the United States, and Japan.
The United States has used sanctions to target Russian PMCs since 2017, but it and other authorities, including the European Union and the United Kingdom, have increased the number of PMCs sanctioned since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Sanctioning authorities primarily targeted the Wagner Group and its affiliated members and entities early in the war. Sanctions on other PMCs have expanded since then, as their operations in Ukraine and around the world have become more visible. In October 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury stated its intent to employ targeted sanctions against non-U.S. persons that provide ammunition or other support to PMCs or paramilitary groups supporting the Russian war effort.
Key Entities
The entries below provide summary profiles of key Russian PMCs subject to a financial asset freeze and/or export restrictions. They have been selected based on their role in supporting the Russian war effort against Ukraine or in paramilitary activities outside of Russia. The table that appears after these entries lists additional PMCs of note, against whom an asset freeze and/or export restrictions have been imposed.
Wagner Group
The Wagner Group is a network of business and mercenary groups that was established in 2014. It was led by Yevgeniy Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin until their reported death in a plane crash in August 2023 and is now reportedly headquartered in Belarus.
The Wagner Group has advanced Russian government interests abroad, notably in Ukraine, where Wagner forces have been heavily involved in combat operations, and in the Middle East and Africa, where they have provided security services to regional governments. In areas where it operates, the Wagner Group has established commercial businesses and become involved in natural resource extraction to generate revenue, including through gold and diamond mining, oil and gas drilling, and logging.
The Wagner Group has reportedly supported the government of Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, where it coordinated with the Russian military and was involved in retaking and protecting oil and gas fields. In addition, the company participated in the training and directing of Syrian forces and their affiliated militias. It has also transferred military equipment to Libya and carried out combat operations there.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the Wagner Group provides security services and engages in both combat operations and commercial activities. In Mali, it has conducted military operations with the Malian Armed Forces and may have transshipped military equipment through Mali for use in Ukraine. It supplied Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces with surface-to-air missiles and performed combat operations throughout the Central African Republic. The Wagner Group has also engaged in gold and diamond mining in the Central African Republic through companies controlled by Prigozhin and has reportedly been involved in gold mining and smuggling in Sudan.
The Wagner Group has also been involved in running pro-Russia disinformation campaigns throughout Africa. Former leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin’s network of political consultants and front organizations have enabled the Wagner Group to improve Russia’s influence in the region and increase its access to resources. According to the United States, the Wagner Group has carried out sham election monitoring missions in Zimbabwe, Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa, and Mozambique and has spread disinformation in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, The Gambia, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
In addition, the Wagner Group has received goods or services from companies and individuals located in China, Luxembourg, North Korea, and the United Arab Emirates.
Has been active in: Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Russia, South Africa, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Zimbabwe
Assets frozen by: European Union, United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom
Subject to export restrictions from: United States, Japan
Private Military Company Redut (Redut)
Redut is affiliated with the Ministry of Defense and the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU). It was reportedly established in 2008 under oligarch Gennady Timchenko, who has Kremlin links and is involved in the energy sector. According to the U.K. Ministry of Defense, Redut likely has over 7,000 personnel and is involved augmenting Russian capabilities in Ukraine. Redut has reportedly also operated in Syria, where it protected the facilities of Timchenko’s company Stroytransganz.
Redut has reportedly functioned as a Russian recruitment organization that provides fighters for other PMCs, including the Union of Cossack Warriors, Gazprom’s Potok Formation, the Union of Donbas Volunteers, and the Veterans of Russia Movement. It also staffs various units operating in Ukraine, including the 16th Special Forces Brigade of the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency.
Has been active in: Syria, Ukraine
Assets frozen by: European Union, United States, Australia, United Kingdom
Don Brigade
The Don Brigade fulfills a combat role in Ukraine. The group reportedly has connections to the Russian Ministry of Defense and is a member of the Union of Cossack Warriors of Russia and Abroad. So-called cossack units have an established relationship with the Russian state, which reportedly has funded them since 1992.
PMC Redut has reportedly utilized Don Brigade members to fight in Ukraine and has had a role in paying the group’s wages.
Has been active in: Ukraine
The Don Brigade is currently unsanctioned.
Union of Donbas Volunteers (UDV)
The Union of Donbas Volunteers is a 14,000-member organization largely composed of veterans of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The UDV has reportedly taken on a combat role in Ukraine since 2014 and again in 2022, where it has collaborated with the Russian Ministry of Defense. Vladislav Surkov, a former advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin, initially created the group, but other leaders include Alexandr Borodai (a deputy in the Russian parliament and former prime minister of the “Donetsk People’s Republic”) and Andrei Pinchuk (former head of the Donetsk People’s Republic’s security apparatus).
Has been active in: Ukraine
Assets frozen by: European Union, United States, Canada, Japan
Limited Liability Company Vega Strategic Services (Vega)
Vega has operated in Syria and Venezuela under the leadership of Anatoliy Smolin and Igor Stramilov, according to the U.S. Department of State. Vega’s owner, Stramilov, is involved in the supply of combat UAVs and other military equipment for the Russian Armed Forces, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Vega has reportedly been active since 2011 and has been based in Ukraine and Cyprus. Vega has also had offices in Germany, Russia, Syria, Thailand, and the United Kingdom, and reportedly shared a Cyprus-based office with Legat, a Russian private security company.
Has been active in: Cyprus, Germany, Russia, Syria, Thailand, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Venezuela
Assets frozen by: United States
Gazprom-Affiliated PMCs
Gazprom, a major Russian energy company, reportedly has several PMCs under its control, which provide a private security function for the company. These PMCs include Gazpromneft Security, which reportedly is responsible for protecting Gazprom facilities around the world, including in the Arctic, and within Russia. Stanislav Bauman, a government official in the Arkhangelsk region, is reportedly the leader of Gazpromneft Security. Because the company nominally exists to protect Gazprom facilities, it could be deployed to countries where Gazprom operates.
In addition, various units affiliated with Gazprom have fulfilled combat roles in Ukraine. One of these units, Potok, reportedly has connections to PMC Redut. Potok has reportedly also fought in Bakhmut alongside the Wagner Group. Gazprom has reportedly created two other units, Plamya and Fakel.
Has been active in: Ukraine
Assets frozen by: United States
Limited Liability Company RSB-Group (RSB-Group)
The RSB-Group has close ties to Russia’s intelligence services, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. It has provided services for Russian companies in coordination with Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), “including services for military aircraft in Libya.”
The RSB-Group also claims to protect Russian and foreign maritime vessels in the Indian Ocean. It claims to operate in Egypt, Oman, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. The services the Group claims to offer include protection of civil air- and seaports, motorcades and, government facilities. It also delivers security-related equipment, including alarm and surveillance systems, bank equipment, and information technology.
Has been active in: Egypt, Oman, South Africa, Sri Lanka
Assets frozen by: European Union, United States, Canada, United Kingdom
Subject to export restrictions from: United States, Japan
Patriot PMC
The Patriot PMC is associated with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. According to the European Union, Patriot PMC participates in military conflicts abroad, including in Syria, the Central African Republic, and Ukraine. Patriot PMC reportedly contracts existing Ministry of Defense and GRU soldiers. It has reportedly also provided security and protection services in Burundi.
Has been active in: Burundi, Central African Republic, Syria, Ukraine
Assets frozen by: European Union, United States, Australia, Japan
Russian National Guard (Rosgvardiya)
Rosgvardiya was established in 2016 and is an increasingly important actor in the Russian PMC sector. It is reportedly directly subordinate to Russian presidential authority. While Rosgvardiya is not privately-owned and thus not itself a PMC, it is involved in several PMCs, including parts of the Wagner Group since June 2023.
In addition, the Chechen paramilitary forces, also knowns as the Kadyrovites/Akhmat PMC, technically operate under the control of Rosgvardiya. Kadyrovites have reportedly been involved in protecting Russian engineers in Lebanon, as well as fighting in Georgia and Ukraine.
Kadyrovites have been active in: Lebanon, Georgia, Ukraine
Rosgvardiya is subordinate to the Russian Ministry of Defense, and the following sanctions target the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Assets frozen by: European Union, Canada
Subject to export restrictions from: European Union, United States, Japan
Other Entities
The following table presents a non-exhaustive list of additional entities considered to be PMCs, or individuals and companies connected to PMCs. It includes the asset freezes and export restrictions applicable to them and notes any key related entities. The table also includes hyperlinks to the Risk Report profile of the entity, when available, and to the official lists of parties subject to asset freezes and/or export restrictions.
| Entity Name | Subject to Asset Freeze | Subject to Export Ban | Related Entities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 223rd Flight Unit | United States | Wagner Group | |
| 224th Flight Unit | European Union, United States, Australia, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Abbas Djuma | United States | Wagner Group | |
| Abu Hani Shammout | European Union, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Adama Bagayoko | United States | Wagner Group | |
| Africa Politology | United States, Canada | Wagner Group | |
| Ahmed Khalil | European Union, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Aleksandr Grigorievitch Maloletko | European Union, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Aleksei Alekseevich Malyarevich | United States, Canada, Japan | Wagner Group | |
| Aleksey Nikolaevich Chumakov | United States, Japan | Union of Donbas Volunteers | |
| Aleksey Petrovich Sosonnyy | United States, Japan | Union of Donbas Volunteers | |
| Alexander Alexandrovich Ivanov | European Union, United States, Canada, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Alexander Alexandrovich Tronin | European Union | Wagner Group | |
| Alexander Khodakovsky AKA Oleksandr Sergiyovych Khodakovskyi | European Union, United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom | Vostok Battalion | |
| Alexander Sergeevich Kuznetsov | European Union | Wagner Group | |
| Alexander Yuryevich Boroday AKA Aleksandr Yurevich Borodai | European Union, United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom | Union of Donbas Volunteers | |
| Alexander Yuryevich Kuzin | United States, Canada | Wagner Group | |
| Alexander Zhuchkovsky | United States | Russian Imperial Movement | |
| Alexey Milchakov | European Union, United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Alexey Vasilyevich Tensin | European Union, United States | Wagner Group | |
| Alou Boi Diarra | United States | Wagner Group | |
| Al-Sayyad Company for Guarding and Protection Services | European Union, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Al-Solag Mining Company Ltd | European Union, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Anastasiya Viktorovna Kuznetsova | United States, Japan | Union of Donbas Volunteers | |
| Anatoli Aleksandrovich Karazi | European Union | PMC Redut Wagner Group |
|
| Anatoliy Anatolievich Smolin | United States | PMC Vega | |
| Andrei Mikhailovich Bogatov | European Union, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Andrei Sergeevich Mandel | European Union, United States, Canada, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Andrei Yuryevich Pinchuk | European Union, United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom | Union of Donbas Volunteers | |
| Andrey Nikolaevich Troshev | European Union, United States, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Andrey Nikolayevich Ivanov | United States, Canada | Wagner Group | |
| Anton Olegovich Elizarov AKA Anton Olegovich Elizarev | European Union, United States, Japan | Wagner Group | |
| Arkadiy Aleksandrovich Gostev | European Union, United States, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Beijing Yunze Technology Co., Ltd. | United States | United States | Wagner Group |
| Bois Rouge SARLU | United States | Wagner Group | |
| Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd. | United States | Wagner Group | |
| Changsha Tianyi Space Science and Technology Research Institute Co., LTD | United States | United States (as Spacety Co., Ltd.) | Wagner Group |
| Charter Green Light Moscow | United States, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| China HEAD Aerospace Technology Company | United States | United States | Wagner Group |
| Denis Gariyev AKA Denis Valiullvich Gariyev | European Union, United States, Japan | Russian Imperial Movement | |
| Denis Yurievich Kharitonov | European Union | Wagner Group | |
| Diamville SAU | European Union, United States | Wagner Group | |
| Dimitriy Utkin | European Union, United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Dmitriy Nikolaevich Bezrukikh | United States, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Dmitriy Vasilyevich Khavchenko | United States, Japan | Union of Donbas Volunteers | |
| Dmitriy Vladimirovich Dzinikashvili | United States, Japan | Union of Donbas Volunteers | |
| Dmitry Sytii AKA Dmitry Sergeevich Syty | European Union, United States, Canada, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Fawaz Mikhail Gerges | European Union, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Hayk Arsenovich Gasparyan | European Union | Wagner Group | |
| Igor Mikhailovich Stramilov | United States | PMC Vega | |
| Industrial Resources General Trading | United States | Wagner Group | |
| Ivan Aleksandrovich Maslov | European Union, United States, Canada, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Ivan Pavlovitch Prokopenko | United States, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Joint Stock Company Research and Production Concern Barl | United States, Japan | Wagner Group | |
| Joint Stock Company Terra Tech | United States, Canada, Japan | Wagner Group | |
| Joint-Stock Company PMC Wagner Centre AKA Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Konsalt | European Union, United States | Wagner Group | |
| Konstantin Aleksendrovitch Pikalov | European Union, United States, United Kingdom | Wagner Group PMC Convoy |
|
| Kratol Aviation | United States | Wagner Group | |
| Limited Liability Company Broker Expert | United States | Wagner Group | |
| Limited Liability Company DM | United States | Wagner Group | |
| Limited Liability Company Legat | United States | PMC Vega | |
| Limited Liability Company Legion | United States | PMC Vega | |
| Limited Liability Company Private Security Organization RSB-Group | United States | RSB-Group | |
| Lobaye Invest | European Union, United States, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| M Finans | United States, Canada | Union of Donbas Volunteers | |
| Mariya Vasilyevna Koleda | United States, Canada, Japan | Wagner Group | |
| Meroe Gold | United States, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Midas Ressources SARLU | United States | Wagner Group | |
| Mikhail Potepkin | European Union, United States, Canada, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Mikhail Viktorovich Turkanov | United States | ||
| M-Invest | European Union, United States, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Moran Security Group | |||
| Nadezhda Vitalyevna Lashkaryova | United States, Japan | Union of Donbas Volunteers | |
| Nasser Dhib | European Union | Wagner Group | |
| Nikolay Nikolayevich Trushchalov | United States | Russian Imperial Movement | |
| Officer’s Union for International Security | United States, Canada | Wagner Group | |
| Oleg Anatolyevich Krinitsyn | United States | RSB-Group | |
| Oleg Ivanovich Pugachyov | United States, Japan | Union of Donbas Volunteers | |
| Olga Ivanovna Kulygina | United States, Japan | Union of Donbas Volunteers | |
| Pavel Evgenevich Prigozhin | European Union, United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| PMC Andreevsky Krest AKA PMC St. Andrew’s Cross | European Union | Russian Federation Ministry of Defense Russian Orthodox Church Wagner Group |
|
| PMC Convoy | European Union, United States, Canada | ||
| PMC Fakel | European Union | Gazpromneft Security | |
| PMC Potok | European Union | Gazpromneft Security | |
| PMC Tsarskie Volki AKA Tsar Wolves | European Union | ||
| Prime Security and Development | United States, Canada | Wagner Group | |
| RIA FAN AKA Federal News Agency LLC | European Union, United States, Canada | Wagner Group | |
| Rim Yong Hyok | United States | Wagner Group | |
| Roman Yuryevich Lenshin | United States, Canada, Japan | Union of Donbas Volunteers | |
| Russian Imperial Movement; AKA Russian Imperial Legion, Saint Petersburg Imperial Legion | European Union, United States, Australia, Japan | ||
| Sadio Camara | United States | Wagner Group | |
| Sanad Protection and Security Services | European Union, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Sergey Vladimirovich Shcherbakov | European Union | Wagner Group | |
| Sewa Security Service | European Union, United States, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Shooting Center Altay Shooter LTD | United States | Wagner Group | |
| Spacety Luxembourg S.A. | United States | United States (as Spacety Co., Ltd.) | Wagner Group |
| Stanislav Alexandrovich Orlov | United States | ||
| Stanislav Anatolevich Shevchuk | United States | Russian Imperial Movement | |
| Stanislav Anatolyevich Vorobyov | European Union, United States, Japan | Russian Imperial Movement | |
| Stanislav Evgenievitch Dychko | European Union | Wagner Group | |
| Tamerlan Borisovich Enaldiev | United States, Japan | Union of Donbas Volunteers | |
| Task Force Rusich AKA Military-Patriotic Club Rusich, Sabotage and Assault Reconnaissance Group Rusich | European Union, United States, Australia, Japan, United Kingdom | ||
| Tigran Khristoforovich Srabionov | United States | Wagner Group | |
| Valery Chekalov | United States | Wagner Group | |
| Valery Nikolayevich Zakharov | European Union, United States, Canada | Wagner Group | |
| Viktor Yuryevich Anosov AKA The Nose | European Union, United States, Australia, Canada, Japan | Union of Donbas Volunteers | |
| Vitalii Viktorovitch Perfilev | European Union, United States, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Vostok Battalion | European Union, Australia, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom | ||
| Yan Igorovich Petrovskiy | European Union, United States, Australia, Japan, United Kingdom | Task Force Rusich Wagner Group |
|
| Yasar Hussein Ibrahim | European Union, United States, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Yevgeniy Khodotov | United States, Canada | Wagner Group | |
| Yevgniy Viktorovich Prigozhin | European Union, United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom | Wagner Group | |
| Yuriy Valeryevich Shevchenko | United States, Canada, Japan | Union of Donbas Volunteers | |
| Yuriy Viktorovich Daniltsev | United States, Canada, Japan | Union of Donbas Volunteers |