Meet Andrei Troshev—veteran mercenary set to lead Russia's Wagner Group
What's the story
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly proposed the name of veteran mercenary Andrei Troshev to head Wagner Group. This comes weeks after Putin survived a failed mutiny by the private mercenary group led by its outgoing chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. Putin also reportedly offered Wagner troopers to continue fighting under Troshev; the retired colonel and top mercenary is also known as "Sedoi," meaning "gray hair."
Context
Why does this story matter?
The mercenary Wagner Group launched a rebellion last month, as Prigozhin accused the Kremlin of missile attacks against his forces. However, following an agreement, the group eventually ended the revolt and agreed to go into exile in neighboring Belarus. Wagner is a private mercenary army that is reported to have played a crucial role in Russia's takeover of Bakhmut in Ukraine as well.
Early life
Troshev is veteran of wars in Chechnya, Afghanistan
Reportedly born on April 5, 1953, Troshev is a native of Leningrad (now St. Petersberg), also the hometown of Putin and Progozhin. He is considered a war veteran as he fought in Chechnya and Afghanistan, per News18. According to documents released by the European Union and France, Troshev retired as a colonel and is a founding member and executive director of the Wagner Group.
War veteran
Troshev led Wagner Group in Syria, supporting Bashar al-Assad regime
Troshev, whose callsign is "Sedoi" (meaning gray hair), worked as the lead of the Wagner Group during several operations in Syria. The group reportedly supported the Syrian regime led by Bashar al-Assad. "He provides a crucial contribution to Bashar al-Assad's war effort and therefore supports and benefits from the Syrian regime," an EU document reportedly said earlier.
Controversial figure
UK includes Troshev in 2022 financial sanctions list
Troshev was also named on the United Kingdom's list of financial sanctions that took effect in June 2022, allegedly because he "supported the Syrian regime" against civilians while serving as chief executive of the Wagner Group, said reports. His close associates include Wagner Group founder Dimitriy Utkin, a former Russian GRU military intelligence officer, and commanders Aleksandr Sergeevich Kuznetsov and Andrey Bogatov, among others.
Awards
Recipient of prominent awards like Order of Red Star
According to reports, Troshev also served in the special rapid response forces unit of the Russian Interior Ministry's Northwestern Federal District. In December 2016, he was reportedly among the attendees at a reception at the Kremlin as well. He has been conferred with several awards like two Orders of the Red Star and two Orders of Courage for his service in Afghanistan and Chechnya.