Report: Russian mercenary group received tens of thousands of protective helmets from China

According to a report by the Financial Times, a Russian mercenary group received tens of thousands of protective helmets from China towards the end of last year. This occurred during a period when the leader of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was allegedly assembling a large force of prisoners to attack Ukraine.

Despite Western sanctions aimed at curbing the activities of this private army, the report reveals that the entities associated with Prigozhin have been able to freely export and import items across international markets. These entities were used to equip operations in Africa.

The sanctions were specifically designed to target the Wagner group, which the United States has designated as a “transnational crime organization”.

According to customs filings and interviews, a Russian company connected to Wagner called Broker Expert purchased 20,000 polymer-based helmets from a small Chinese company named Hangzhou Shinerain Import And Export Co in November and December of the previous year. The Chinese company claimed that the helmets were intended for “gaming purposes”. The helmets were reportedly shipped in four separate batches with a combined value exceeding £2 million.

When questioned about the helmet purchase, the Wagner chief denied any knowledge of the Chinese company involved, stating in a voice message to the media outlet, “I have never heard of the name of the company.” In a sarcastic tone, he also offered to send the Financial Times “a large bag of my dirty laundry” for further examination.

The report further disclosed that Broker Expert had previously sent power generators, welding electrodes, and fireproof insulating materials to a logging company controlled by Prigozhin in the Central African Republic in August. In January, the United States charged Wagner fighters in the Central African Republic with various crimes, including mass summary executions, rape, arbitrary detention, torture, and displacing civilians.

Marcel Plichta, a research fellow at the Centre for Global Law and Governance at the University of St Andrews, commented on the situation, stating that Prigozhin’s ability to maintain armed contractors in Ukraine and multiple African countries, procure equipment from China, and smuggle resources demonstrated the resilience of his network.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian oligarch and a close associate of President Vladimir Putin, is sometimes referred to as “Putin’s chef” due to his ownership of restaurants and catering enterprises serving the Kremlin. He has admitted to being the founder of the Wagner group.

In a recent development, Prigozhin claimed that his army was leading the assault on the heavily damaged city of Bakhmut, as stated in a Telegram message released on Friday, May 19. He asserted that intense and bloody battles were ongoing, and his forces were nearing the completion of the city’s capture.