Make Russia Great Again

As part of Vladimir Putin's expansionist foreign policy Russia has been increasingly relying on private military companies (PMCs) to achieve its overseas economic, geopolitical, and military aims. Under Donald Trump the United States has been kindly withdrawing its military forces and political influence in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia - allowing China and Russia to pursue their grip on global power with very little hindrance.

The Center for Strategic International Studies has been taking a close look at Moscow's Mercenary Wars: The Expansion of Russian Private Military Companies. In this detailed examination of Russia's foreign operations the CSIS reveals how Russia has been using PMCs with local forces to enforce Russian influence and its military and economic interests. An interactive map is used to illustrate the countries where Russia's PMCs have been operating around the world. Satellite imagery is also used to explore where and how Russia trains these PMCs before they are deployed abroad.

One of the first uses of PMCs by Russia was in Ukraine, during Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. Since then Russia's PMCs have been operating in Ukraine's Donbas region. The PMCs are used to destabilize Ukrainian rule while Moscow sits back and denies any direct responsibility. PMCs have also been widely used by Russia in Syria. In Syria PMCs have been used to capture oil fields, refineries, gas plants, and other energy infrastructure from rebels. Ostensibly these PMCs are used as pro-regime supporters, helping to stabilize Assad's power, but are clearly also being used to pursue Russian economic priorities by securing key energy infrastructure. PMCs have also been extensively used by Russia in the Central African Republic and in Sudan.

The CSIS report on Russia's Private Military Companies uses Mapbox's Scrollytelling Template. Mapbox's Scrollytelling Template is a structured method for building scroll driven narratives using interactive maps. This CSIS report shows how the template can be used with and without the interactive map element - as Moscow's Mercenary Wars removes the map from the story when it isn't needed and adds it back in when it is required to illustrate a point.