State Funding Allegations: Putin Links Wagner Militants to Government Support

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the Wagner Group, a private military company, was fully financed by the state, receiving over $1 billion from the state's budget. Putin also mentioned that another company owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, Concord, earned $940 million for supplying the military. The Wagner Group has been involved in conflicts in Syria, Ukraine, Central African Republic, Libya, Sudan, and other countries, and has been accused of committing war crimes. Prigozhin recently launched an armed rebellion against the Russian government, but the insurrection ended abruptly after a deal was brokered between the government and Prigozhin.