November-December 2019 MILITARY REVIEW6
e Geoeconomic
Dimensions of Russian
Private Military and
Security Companies
Maj. omas D. Arnold, U.S. Army
I believe that suc companies are a ay of impleenting na-
tional interests without the direct involveent of the state … I
think e could conside this option.
—Russian President Vladimir Putin
T
he U.S. military’s lopsided defeat of Russian
“mercenaries” and pro-regime forces near Deir
al-Zour, Syria, in February 2018, brought Russian
private military and security companies (PMSCs) to the
forefront of popular aention.
1
e subsequent kiling
of Russian journalists investigating ChVK Wagner—the
most notorious Russian PMSC—in the Central African
Repulic that same year only enhanced the mystique
surounding Russian PMSCs.
2
While these events have
increased awareness of Wagner, they have inadvertently
focused most analysis of
the Russian PMSC in-
dustry toward a hybrid,
or “nonlinear,” warfare
perective devoid of
historic and economic
context.
3
Russian PMSCs
certainly play a role
in Moscow’s evolving
concept of nonlinear
warfare, but they also
have geopolitical and
economic—geoeco-
nomic—utility that Russia is exploiting today.
4
For
the purposes of this article, geoeconomics is dened
as “the use of economic instruments to promote and
defend national interests, and to produce benecial
r e s u l t s .”
5
Looking beyond the Deir al-Zour incident, the
geoeconomic role of PMSCs in the Kremlin’s foreign
policy becomes clear. Russia uses PMSCs to expand its
inuence abroad by suporting fragile states’ sovereign
governments, essentialy trading security for access
and concessions.
6
On and o the baleeld, Russian
PMSCs also secure vital investments in security vac-
uums on behalf of private and state-owned businesses
to suport broader foreign policy objectives.
7
Despite
a few notale embarassments, modern PMSCs have
served the Kremlin wel, quickly moving from concept
to reality. A holistic understanding of Russian PMSCs
is important for military ocers and policy makers
because PMSCs wil become an increasingly integral
component of the Kremlin’s foreign policy as evidenced
by historical analysis and ongoing aivities.
e remainder of this article explores the geoeconom-
ic dimensions of the Russian PMSC industry. It begins
by developing an analytical framework based on previous
academic theory to facilitate comparative analysis of
PMSCs. e article then provides a historical case study
to highlight the similarities and dissimilarities between
earlier PMSCs and their contemporary Russian coun-
terparts. Next, the article provides a brief history of the
Russian PMSC industry before drawing paralels be-
tween Soviet foreign policy and curent aivities. Finaly,
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Maj. omas D. Arnold,
U.S. Army, is a strategist as-
signed to the U.S. European
Command as a joint op-
erations planner. He holds
a BS and an MBA from
Louisiana Tech University
and an MPA from Harvard
University. He has served
in command and sta posi-
tions in Iraq, Germany, Fort
Polk, Afghanistan, and the
Pentagon.
