The Shadowy Figures Behind Putin's Reign and Global Disruption.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the man who led a rebellion against President Vladimir Putin, built a multinational commercial enterprise that helped fund his military operations. Prigozhin's private mercenary operation, Wagner Group, fights wars and trains militias in politically restive countries, and it has been Putin's go-to force when military campaigns go awry, such as in Syria and Ukraine. Wagner's internet troll farms target Western democracies and elections, including the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign. Wagner is a "brutal" transnational criminal organization, according to the Treasury Department. To avoid sanctions and conceal its finances, Wagner often demands payment in gold, diamonds, and shipments of oil and gas.