The New York-based Daily Beast published on 31 January 2022 an article titled "Notorious Russian Mercenaries Pulled Out of Africa Ready for Ukraine" by Philip Obaji Jr.
The Russian mercenary organization, Wagner Group, which has close ties to President Putin, has been active on behalf of several African governments, including the Central African Republic. Military officers in the CAR reported in late January that "unprecedented numbers of Wagner mercenaries" left the country for the Ukraine.
