From Wieners to Warlord: Inside Wagner’s terror machine

The Wagner Group made headlines with its 24-hour revolt against Vladimir Putin. Their leader, Yevgeny Prighozhin, is a shady character. Once a seller of hotdogs, he’s now made a career as a warlord, commanding thousands of troops in Ukraine and Africa. The mystery of Wagner is now clearing, says Ben Dalton, program manager for New America's Future Frontlines program. He joins Laura Makin-Isherwood in The Bunker to discuss how the group operates and how it harnesses the power of social media to recruit and fundraise. “The Wagner group has been very core to Russia's war effort in Ukraine.” – Ben Dalton. “Prigozhin has been remarkably savvy on social media, predominantly on telegram, in a way that reminds me of Donald Trump.” – Ben Dalton “As far back as 2017 Putin has been rewarding Wagner commanders for their role in Syria.” – Ben Dalton www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Laura Makin-Isherwood. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices