Despite the Wagner Group not making a public appearance until mid-2022, its activities can be traced back to 2014. The paramilitary group provided Russia with the opportunity to exert an influence on a global scale without the necessity of maintaining a physical military presence on the ground. Furthermore, it granted the Kremlin access to resources in Syria and on the African continent. In his analysis, Florian Kiebel employs critical security studies to examine the group's history, its current and past operational areas, and the action it has engaged in in these locations. He then addresses the question of the group's legitimacy and accountability, exploring the factors that prompt states to allow the Wagner Group into their territory.
