Ronny Sianturi
More than a decade ago, the Wagner Group began its ascent as the world’s most formidable mercenary army, operating discreetly in global hotspots far from the spotlight of mainstream attention. Among the few who dared to scrutinize its clandestine operations was dissident Russian journalist Katya, who was driven by a conviction that this represented "a new model of violence that is transforming the world for all of us." Her pursuit of this shadowy entity, alongside exiled police detective Denis, forms the narrative backbone of the new documentary Hell’s Army, a compelling exposé from Oscar nominee and three-time Emmy winner Richard Rowley, renowned for his previous works like Dirty Wars and Kingdom of Silence. The film premiered at the 23rd edition of the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival (CPH:DOX), offering an unflinching look into the origins and influence of this private military company and its enigmatic, now deceased, leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Tracing the Genesis of a Global Shadow Army
Rowley’s decision to focus on the Wagner Group stems from a long-standing fascination with the evolving landscape of modern warfare. "I’ve been tracking mercenaries since I first saw them in the field in Iraq, way back in 2004," Rowley explained in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "It was their reemergence on the battlefield that signaled a terrifying potential in war. When Wagner emerged and came out of the shadows, it was clear that mercenaries had entered a completely new paradigm." The sheer scale of Wagner’s operations, fielding an estimated 30,000 soldiers at its peak – a force larger than many European national armies – and becoming the first private entity to seize a European city in half a millennium, underscored the profound shift in geopolitical and military dynamics.
The documentary’s investigation into Wagner’s rise is significantly propelled by the unique collaboration between Katya and Denis. Denis, an exiled police detective, is credited with being the first to expose the existence of the Wagner Group and has cultivated an extensive network of internal sources, granting unparalleled insight into the organization’s inner workings. "You can’t make a film about Wagner without talking to Denis," Rowley emphasized. "He knows it inside and out." Denis, in turn, facilitated introductions to his investigative team, including Katya and members of The Dossier Center.
This collaborative approach provided a multifaceted lens through which to view Wagner. Denis’s deep well of sources offered an insider’s perspective, while Katya’s on-the-ground immersion, often in dangerous conflict zones, brought the human cost and brutal reality of Wagner’s operations into stark relief. The Dossier Center, an investigative organization funded by Russian dissident Mikhail Khodorkovsky, contributed access to a trove of internal documents, enabling the film to achieve both an epic global scope and an intimate, front-line immediacy.
Navigating the Perils of Investigative Journalism
The making of Hell’s Army was not without significant risks, necessitating stringent security protocols. Both Katya and the Dossier Center are designated as undesirable organizations by the Russian government, placing them on watchlists and making them targets for potential arrest or worse. Katya’s presence in Syria, for instance, revealed she was on a "target list," meaning she risked immediate detention if apprehended at a checkpoint. "The Dossier team has significant security protocols," Rowley stated. "They spend a lot of time thinking about and planning for ways to keep people safe."
Rowley himself was deeply involved in the fieldwork, often alongside Katya. His role as both director and cinematographer was crucial for immersing the audience in the sensory details of each location – the specific quality of light, the ambient sounds of conflict, and the palpable atmosphere of danger. "I had to be everywhere because I also shoot, and it’s really important for me to immerse the audience in the specificity of each location," he explained. "Part of that is visual and oral. Part of it is [capturing] the color of light in the morning or the sound of drones whining in the air. But more important is the feeling of the walls closing in on us in Syria, or the public mourning in the streets of Ukraine."
While acknowledging the necessity of private security in certain high-risk environments, Rowley underscored that true safety often hinges on trusted local collaborators. "There are always risks involved with going to any conflict zone, of course, but it’s important also to recognize that the risks we take are nothing in comparison with the risks that our local colleagues take in bringing us there," he noted, highlighting the profound courage of those on the ground who facilitate such investigations.
A Tapestry of Desperate Lives and Moral Ambiguity
Hell’s Army weaves a narrative populated by an extraordinary cast of characters, each offering a glimpse into the complex motivations and experiences of those involved in mercenary warfare. The film features an AWOL Wagner colonel seeking refuge in Turkish Cyprus, a hardened lieutenant commanding operations in the Central African Republic, and a former prison recruit who endured the brutal "meat grinder" of the Ukrainian frontlines before escaping. These individuals occupy a "gray zone at the extremities of human morality and experience," as Rowley described them, making their stories both fascinating and profoundly revealing.
The inherent suspicion that surrounds investigative journalists in such volatile environments was a constant factor. Rowley acknowledged that interviewees were often guarded, their motivations for speaking complex and varied. Some sought a form of redemption, like Igor, who was contemplating his future options. Others, Rowley suggested, might have been probing to gauge the extent of the journalists’ knowledge or their investigative trajectory.
"First of all, they’re all very suspicious of us," Rowley admitted. "And their motives for speaking are complex and different." He emphasized his approach of genuine curiosity, aiming to understand each individual’s journey and their perception of their role in a world defined by moral ambiguity. "I really want to know how he ended up being who he is in this complex, gray world they operate in. And people sort of sense that. I’m not setting them up for gotcha questions and going to piece together something to misrepresent them." This open, non-judgmental stance, he believes, encouraged subjects to articulate their stories more clearly and authentically.
The Metastasizing Threat of Global Mercenaries
The documentary underscores a disturbing trend: the escalating global reliance on mercenary forces. Despite the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin in a fiery plane crash in August 2023, the Wagner Group’s influence has not waned; rather, it has metastasized. In countries like Mali and the Central African Republic, Wagner continues its operations largely unchanged. Elsewhere, its fighters have dispersed, some joining other mercenary formations, and surprisingly, others have reportedly defected to Western-backed private military companies operating in Africa and Europe.
Furthermore, the Wagner brand itself has become a potent tool for Russia’s hybrid warfare campaigns. The Associated Press has documented approximately 125 acts of hybrid warfare attributed to Russia in Europe, including attempted assassinations, kidnappings, and sabotage. This indicates that mercenary elements, even under different guises, remain an active component of ongoing geopolitical conflicts.
The rise of mercenaries is not confined to Russia’s sphere of influence. The United Arab Emirates maintains a mercenary force that has been deployed in conflicts in Yemen and Libya. In a chilling example of the reach of private military actors, mercenaries hired out of Florida were implicated in the assassination of the President of Haiti. Rowley posits that this represents a "terrifying new paradigm," one that emerges when states are increasingly controlled by oligarchs and authoritarians who prioritize personal gain over collective well-being.
"Democracies don’t need mercenary armies," Rowley asserted. "Mercenary armies are what states turn to when they’ve been taken over by oligarchs and authoritarians who are running the state for their private ambitions and their private gain."
A Dire Warning for Democratic Societies
Rowley views Hell’s Army as a critical warning, particularly for Western democracies. He expresses concern that nations like the United States are "well on the road to an authoritarian future where our culture and politics are ruled by oligarchs or significantly influenced by oligarchs." He contends that the unchecked rise of mercenary warfare is a harbinger of the horrors that lie at the end of such a path, where conflict becomes a venture for personal enrichment and ambition, corrupting soldiers into murderers and debasing the nation itself.
The core issue, according to Rowley, lies in the erosion of democratic principles. In a truly democratic system, the state maintains a monopoly on violence, and military action is undertaken only when it serves a discernible collective moral purpose. The current proliferation of private military forces signifies a breakdown of this fundamental tenet, coinciding with the dismantling of the post-war liberal order. "It’s almost gone, and it is something that we have to fight for," he urged. "Because it’s so brazen and so out there in the open. People don’t even make an effort to conceal what’s happening at this point."
The Paradoxical Moment of Wagner’s Public Emergence
One of the most surreal and disorienting moments in the making of Hell’s Army, Rowley recounted, was witnessing Wagner’s transition from a covert entity to a public force. For years, Katya and Denis had painstakingly worked to expose Wagner’s clandestine activities. Then, just as they felt they were making headway, Wagner’s leadership, including Yevgeny Prigozhin, stepped into the public arena, particularly following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Prigozhin began granting interviews to major international news outlets like The New York Times, openly discussing his operations and the group’s involvement in war crimes.
This sudden public visibility cast a shadow of doubt over the risks undertaken and the value of their investigative work. Colleagues had sacrificed their lives in the pursuit of exposing Wagner’s transgressions, only to see those same transgressions become celebrated aspects of a brutal brand. For Katya and Denis, this paradox fueled a resolve to delve even deeper, to expose not just the actions of mercenaries, but the entire systemic framework that renders such violence not only possible but, in their view, perhaps even inevitable.
Rowley indicated that his commitment to exploring the intersection of war, power, and societal decay continues. He is currently developing a new project that operates within a similar thematic universe, driven by a lifelong conviction that war serves as a crucible, revealing humanity at its extremes and laying bare the most insidious sicknesses festering within our cultures. His continued work aims to shed light on these dark corners, serving as a stark reminder of the stakes involved in the ongoing struggle for democratic principles and a just world order.
