Russian soldiers under false flags are to be found in both Ukraine and Mali, where Swedish soldiers are also on site.
Vladimir Putin denies links to the Wagner group and those who try to prove otherwise risk their lives.
So who are Wagner really, what role do they play in Russia's great power ambitions and when did they first appear?
Click on the clip to see a selection of conflicts in which the Wagner Group has participated and see more about Putin's mercenaries in the Foreign Office: Putin's secret army tonight at 10 pm on SVT2 or from 7.30 pm on SVT Play.