The Wagner Sledgehammer Video no blur shocked viewers around the world with its gruesome display of brutality.
The Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, has been making headlines for years. It all started with a viral video released on social media showing Wagner mercenaries brutally punishing a deserter by smashing his head with a sledgehammer.
The video was gruesome, to say the least, and sparked outrage around the world.
The sledgehammer was later sent to the European Union, symbolically, by the head of Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, notorious for being close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The reason behind sending the sledgehammer was the EU’s proposal to add the Wagner Group to its terror list.
This move came amidst growing concerns about the company’s activities in the Ukraine war and its alleged control by the Russian Ministry of Defense and intelligence establishment.
Wagner mercenaries said to be more ruthless and efficient than the Russian military, are known for their brutal methods and human rights violations.
Background on Prigozhin, Founder of Wagner Group
Yevgeny Prigozhin’s journey to becoming the head of a Russian private military company was unusual.
After serving a nine-year prison sentence for robbery, Prigozhin started selling hot dogs on the roadside in St. Petersburg. Soon enough, he managed to save enough to open restaurants, retail stores, and casinos.
Prigozhin’s catering company started serving the Kremlin when Putin became the President, and he got lucrative government contracts.
Putin also took his state guests to his restaurants.
Though Prigozhin denied a link to the Wagner Group for a long last year, he admitted he had founded it. Wagner first hit the headlines during the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine in 2014.
Wagner mercenaries supported Pro-Russia elements in Ukraine and fought in the Crimean War.
Prigozhin’s grudge against Putin and the Kremlin
Prigozhin, whose feud with the Russian Defense Ministry dates back years, has long criticized the government for not supplying his troops with enough weapons and ammunition.
He refused a requirement that military contractors sign contracts with the ministry before July 1. He said he was ready to find a compromise, but “they have treacherously cheated us.”
This disagreement caused a rift between Prigozhin and Putin, leading Prigozhin to challenge Putin’s military. In an act seen as a coup against Putin, his mercenaries headed to Moscow in a massive convoy Prigozhin dubbed the “march of justice.”
Prigozhin claimed that his men needed to fire not a single shot when they took control of Russia’s Southern Military District headquarters in Rostov.
However, in a new audio message released by his press service, he explained that his men had been fired on by artillery and helicopters en route to Rostov.
In a televised address, Putin called the mutiny a “stab in the back” and vowed to crush it, stating that “excessive ambitions and vested interests have led to treason. It is a blow to Russia, to our people. And our actions to defend the Fatherland against such a threat will be harsh.”
Wagner Group’s Activities in Africa
The Wagner Group has operated in secret in Africa and the Middle East for years.
The group masquerades as a private company, spread over several companies, making it challenging for Western countries to sanction its activities.
Wagner mostly provides protection to new regimes threatened by rebels in exchange for resource concessions in mineral-rich African countries or direct payment.
The Russian military supplies arms and ammunition, while Wagner recruits mercenaries from the Russian military, jailed convicts, and foreign nationals.
The group pays up to $2,500 to its recruits, whereas the average monthly income in Russia is well below $1,000. Convicts working with Wagner get their criminal records wiped off.
In addition to its activities in Africa, Wagner serves as Putin’s foreign policy tool by helping African countries win their support in favor of Russia at the United Nations. Wagner offers a cover for Russia’s military operations in other countries and aids in hiding Russians’ deaths in foreign operations.
Conclusion
Despite the controversy surrounding the Wagner Sledgehammer video no blur, its graphic content was viewed with disturbing clarity due to the absence of blur.
The Wagner Group and its head Yevgeny Prigozhin have been making headlines for years, and the latest mutiny against Putin’s military is just one in a long list of controversial actions.
The group has been a subject of international outrage and concern, from the sledgehammer video that went viral to Wagner’s brutal methods and human rights violations.
Wagner’s activities in Africa and the Middle East are shrouded in secrecy, and its masquerading as several companies makes it challenging for Western countries to sanction its activities.
The world is now watching as Putin vows to crush Prigozhin’s mutiny, and the question remains, will Putin be able to put the monster he created in the bottle once again?
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