THE USE OF PRIVATE MILITARY AND SECURITY COMPANIES (PMSCs) BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE WAGNER GROUP AND THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

The Montreux Document, an intergovernmental document that compiles the legal provisions, national and international obligations, responsibilities, and best practices for private security companies, states, and governments, was adopted by seventeen countries. The legal recognition of private military and security companies as other actors in the system, the benefits they can provide, and the problems they can cause are open to debate and complexity in the current system. Russia is not one of the countries that has officially adopted this document. Indeed, the Russian state's internal regulations prohibit the establishment, support, and financing of private military and security companies. Nevertheless, the Russian state uses Russian private military and security companies abroad, particularly the Wagner Group, for its political, economic, and military interests. This research examines the relationship between the Russian state and the Wagner Group in Ukraine from 2014 to the present. The Wagner Group provided services to Russian interests in the region even before the Russian leader launched the war against Ukraine in 2022 under the guise of special operations. 2022 saw the Wagner Group increase the intensity of its services in Ukraine, gain autonomy, and expand its operational areas. However, with the Wagner Group's march against the Russian Ministry of Defence in 2023, relations between the Russian state and the Wagner Group were reshaped. The dynamics of the relationship in the region are examined through leaders' statements, decisions, and the benefits of military hardware in combat zones. This research reveals that the Wagner Group's activities for Russia are driven not only by military interests but also by economic and political ones. Key Words: Private Military and Security Companies, Wagner Group, Russian-Ukrainian War, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin.