Shadow Men: Inside Wagner, Russia's Secret War Company

WSJ Documentary, June 9, 2023

Jane Lytvynenko: Shadow Men

Finally, I get to tell you what our team's been working on for the last few months.

This documentary about Wagner investigates how the group began, its activities in Syria and Africa, and its role in the invasion of Ukraine. For your weekend viewing:

There are a few things we tried to do with this doc.

The first is show the evolution of Wagner, how it began, where it found success, and the way it moved across the globe. As one of our experts says, Wagner presence is confirmed on at least four continents. We unpack that.

Our team also wanted to dig into the money. We are the WSJ, after all.

So, a part of the doc looks at the shell companies, contracts, looting of resources, and various income sources for Wagner and Prigozhin. Some of it connects directly back to the Kremlin.

Crucially, each section includes the voice of someone who has been impacted by Wagner’s violence.

Victims in CAR, Syria, and Ukraine tell us how Wagner killed their family members and impacted their lives.

What the documentary shows is a vivid picture of what one of our experts calls a “state-backed paramilitary cartel.”

Prigozhin and Wagner have been gaining notoriety in the recent months. The documentary explains how they got to this point.

The doc is a result of a tireless, months-long effort of an absolute dream team.

It was produced by @deniseduana, @fxmatt4, @emmatscott, and me under the leadership of @RobLibetti and @csstewart.

It includes reporting by @marson_jr, @JamesVGrimaldi, @benoitfaucon, and @rob_barry.

The documentary could not have been done without the many, many people who helped us. It also couldn’t have been done without the brave voices of the victims who spoke with us.

I hope you watch the documentary. Here, again, is the YouTube link.