The impact of private military companies on hybrid warfare: Wagner in Ukraine, Syria, and Libya

This dissertation intends to identify the underlying dynamics of the impact of PMCs in hybrid warfare by building on focused literature on PMCs and the broad literature on the role of non-state armed actors in hybrid warfare. Relying on an in-depth examination of Russian PMC Wagner, this research adopts a qualitative research method fostered by a cross-case study design and interactive data analysis methods through a series of semi-structured interviews. The analytical framework focuses on the PMCs' instruments of power at the operational and tactical levels and the logic and motives behind the combat contract, which are translated to specific behavioral operational patterns and roles. The application of the analytical and methodological frameworks has resulted in a set of conclusions describing typical interactions of PMCs in hybrid warfare, which helps understand hybrid conflict dynamics in practical applications. Wagner provides the premium package of battlefield services at the operational level in Syria, Libya, and Ukraine with different capacities. The degree of used capacities differs based on the rationale behind the intervention in the conflict, which ultimately defines the autonomy of the PMC and hence the degree to which PMCs operate as proxies obedient to their sponsor. The findings aim to take primary steps in filling the knowledge gap surrounding this prominent actor, which is expected to build further awareness of how PMCs activities on battlefields can be labeled in practice and theory.