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Maxim Shugalei is performed by actor Kirill Polukhin (pictured) within the Shugalei movie collection, financed by the late Yevgeny Prigozhin
Dodging bullets, dodging explosions, defending state secrets and techniques.
Bombastic propaganda movies current shadowy Russian political operative Maxim Shugalei as a heroic determine – who will apparently cease at nothing in his quest to advertise the nation overseas.
Whereas his escapades are undoubtedly exaggerated, in actual life he performed a significant function in increasing Russian affect in elements of Africa, working intently with the Wagner group of Russian mercenaries.
Nonetheless, this so-called iron man just lately suffered a setback when he was arrested within the Central African nation of Chad.
He, together with fellow Russian brokers Samer Sueifan and E Tsaryov, had been arrested in September on unexplained costs earlier than being launched and despatched dwelling earlier this month, the Russian embassy mentioned.
Who’s Maxim Shugalei?
Shugalei tends to explain himself as a “sociologist,” however in actuality, analysts say, he’s a spin physician and agent of Russian affect identified for his work on the African continent.
He has been beneath EU sanctions since 2023 for overseeing disinformation campaigns to advertise the Wagner Group in a number of African international locations, and can be the topic of Ukrainian sanctions.
Since at the least 2010, Shugalei had been linked to the late Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner boss and a detailed affiliate of President Vladimir Putin.
Whereas Shugalei denied these ties – as was widespread in Prigozhin’s circles – he was nonetheless first within the media for his work after which arrested in Libya on costs of espionage and election interference on behalf of the Wagner boss.
Prigozhin had instructed Shugalei to collect info and put together a technique for assist Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of former chief Muammar Gaddafi.
When Shugalei returned to Russia, Prigozhin revealed that he had given him 18 million rubles ($173,000; £138,000) – 1 million rubles for each month he spent in captivity.
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It is onerous to know precisely how a lot affect Shugalei has
Shugalei’s escapades in Libya supplied the premise for a trilogy of motion TV movies, apparently sponsored by Prigozhin. They had been supposed, amongst different issues, to glorify the regime of then Wagner ally Khalifa Haftar in japanese Libya and to whitewash Russian actions in Africa.
The function of Shugalei was performed by actor Kirill Polukhin, and the movies painting him as “virtually a James Bond determine, or Mission Not possible sort,” says Ladd Serwat, a regional specialist in Africa on the Armed Battle Location and Occasion Knowledge- mission (Acled ).
“We get to see this macho, powerful particular person who’s unwilling to crack beneath stress or reveal nationwide secrets and techniques – after which is very succesful as a mercenary or as an impartial navy operator.”
A modestly sized on-line fan web page falsely claims that ‘Shugalei’ has even change into an Arabic phrase for ‘man of iron who can’t be damaged’.
However as a key participant within the growth of Russian affect in Africa in recent times, he has additionally been concerned in some extraordinary actions in actual life.
In 2018, a BBC investigation revealed that he was one among a number of Russian brokers captured providing suitcases full of money to presidential candidates in Madagascar.
Earlier than his actions overseas, the one public episode of Shugalei’s profession as a political advisor dates again to the 2002 elections for the parliament in St. Petersburg.
On the time, Shugalei served as a consultant of one of many candidates and ate a number of paperwork throughout an election fee assembly to forestall them from being dropped at justice.
How influential is Shugalei?
Beneath Prigozhin, Shugalei’s official place was head of the Basis for the Safety of Nationwide Values, a pro-Wagner group and public relations agency.
Unofficially, he labored in a number of African states to make sure that regimes favorable to Wagner would come and keep in energy, as a part of Russia’s efforts to realize affect on the continent – particularly on the expense of France.
Because the demise of Yevgeny Prigozhin final yrTroops serving beneath Wagner’s flag in Ukraine and Africa are included in Russia’s official navy construction.
Nonetheless, Prigozhin’s media empire, of which Shugalei was a component, has crumbled.
As somebody who operates within the shadows, it is troublesome to know precisely how a lot affect he wields.
Nonetheless, in line with some, Shugalei might not have misplaced an excessive amount of affect regardless of the demise of his mentor.
“He nonetheless appears to have the identical degree of affect, even if the Kremlin seems to have taken over many of the Wagner group’s actions,” mentioned Beverly Ochieng, a senior analyst who research French-speaking Africa on audit dangers .
He apparently now not denies his ties to Wagner and Prigozhin – his Telegram channel is stuffed with posts memorializing the late oligarch and his mercenary group, and he even reposts Wagner’s recruitment info.
However past his arrest in Chad and a visit to Angola in July, which he documented on Telegram, it’s troublesome to inform the complete extent of his present actions.
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Suspected bodyguards of Wagner had been pictured campaigning with President Touadéra of the Central African Republic in 2020
Why was he arrested in Chad?
Chad has not given an official purpose for the arrest of Shugalei and his two associates.
A number of theories abound – some extra believable than others.
Russia’s state-run information channel RT reported that the arrests had been initiated by France, however that is almost definitely fiction meant to save lots of face, Ms Ochieng informed the BBC.
Since at the least Might, Russia has pushed the narrative that the West’s conventional affect in Chad is waning.
However whereas Chad has just lately signed agreements with Russia on infrastructure and safety, it nonetheless hosts French troops and maintains good relations with the previous colonial energy, not like a number of of its French-speaking neighbors which have turned to Russia.
There is no such thing as a proof of a Russian navy presence within the nation.
Some even say so Chadian President Mahamat Déby skillfully performs Russia and the West in opposition to one anotherin favor of Chad.
Russia goals for full dominance over the West African Sahel area and already maintains shut ties with two of Chad’s neighbors: Niger and the Central African Republic (CAR), the nation the place Russian affect is strongest on the continent.
Wagner fighters are mentioned to have infiltrated Chad from the CAR and clashed with the native military earlier than withdrawing.
If Russia might deliver Chad into its orbit, it could create an uninterrupted sphere of affect stretching 1000’s of miles.
Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and CAR have already got shut ties with Russia
Shugalei had visited Chad twice earlier than, notably holding talks with Déby’s marketing campaign crew forward of Might’s presidential elections. He was additionally related to the Russia Home cultural heart within the capital N’Djamena, which just lately unveiled a brand new headquarters at a ceremony attended by Russian authorities officers.
Final yr, US intelligence companies mentioned that they had found that Wagner allegedly orchestrated a plot to kill Déby however failed to hold it out.
Mr Serwat means that this can be why Shugalei was arrested.
Ms Ochieng mentioned Chad might have been involved about Shugalei’s potential to attempt to destabilize the nation by spreading disinformation.
Shugalei’s basis has denied that he’s a “Wagner spy.”says Shugalei “is aware of nothing particularly concerning the Wagner Group’s actions in Africa and solely is aware of common particulars about what it beforehand did”.
Russian-backed social media content material, TV stations and information websites are right here deployed to unfold a pro-Russian agenda and disinformationparticularly in Africa, in line with analysts.
Examples embody Afrique Media TV, which broadcasts from Cameroon to CAR, Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger – and can be on YouTube, the place it has 1000’s of followers and enjoys a big Fb following.
Shugalei himself teases his presence in varied African international locations, generally sharing quick, low-budget vlog-style Telegram movies that clarify his love for showmanship.
Of the video content material aimed toward Africans, lots of them have a wonderful look – one, known as LionBear, exhibits a bear (symbolizing Russia) operating world wide to catch a lion (his buddy from the Central African Republic) in opposition to the evil affect of hyenas.
“I do not suppose individuals are essentially satisfied by these movies; folks suppose it is humorous, a joke,” says Ms Ochieng.
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