Unlike its practices from Libya and Syria, in Ukraine, the Wagner Group was initially deployed primarily in roles for which other nations might deploy their special forces assets. Correspondingly, it was only during the reorganisations of the late summer and autumn of 2022 that the mercenaries began operating heavier weapons to bolster the firepower of their assault detachments. Henceforth, many of these resembled the organisation and equipment of the different ‘Liwa(s)’ organised, equipped and trained by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps during the wars in Iraq and Syria during the previous decade. Unsurprisingly, Wagner was quick to create numerous ‘technicals’: usually light trucks like this GAZ-66, which received armour plating around its cab and cargo hold, and a twin-barrel 23mm ZU-23 autocannon. (Artwork by David Bocquelet)