The Wagner Group, a Russian military contracting firm, have found success as the successors to infamous mercenary companies. Recent years have seen the group increase their size and power, becoming one of the most powerful and influential military groups in the world. This meteoric rise has been largely attributed to the open political backing the company has received from the Russian state. Increasingly, they are winning contracts for major military and political projects as the US and other world powers are looking warily on their ever-growing influence.