Military

Russia eyeing private military companies market with new legalization bid

Russian MPs are expected within weeks to submit a new draft law regulating private military companies. A global market exists for mercenary fighters and some argue Russia is missing out by trapping citizens in a legal minefield.

Private military companies (PMCs) are the modern-day incarnation of what used to be known as ‘Wild Geese’ – professional soldiers ready to prop up a regular fighting force for payment. As national governments rose in power, the use of hired guns went into relative decline as they were pushed to the sidelines – both legally and geographically. Because the common wisdom of the 20th century held that waging wars was a job for nation states, adventurers were tolerated only in places such as Sierra Leone or Libya.

Then came the end of the Cold War. The downsizing of standing armies left a large pool of people with fighting skills idle while the breakdown of the bipolar world order, with its checks and balances, simultaneously created a larger market for their services. And after 9/11 mercenaries found themselves more in demand, as the US government was more than willing to outsource an increasing number of duties previously reserved for regular troops. Conveniently, these auxiliary hires aren’t counted in Washington's official war casualty statistics.