The strategic connection between martial arts and online propaganda – GNET

The connection between martial arts and PMC Wagner

With a worldwide, consolidated fan base, mixed martial arts (MMA) has grown in popularity in Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union since the early 2000s, driven by the success of local promotions such as: B. international stars Fedor Emelianenkoand the rise of dominant fighters from regions like Dagestan and the Caucasus, like Khabib Nurmagomedov. Government support and increasing media coverage have further cemented MMA’s status as one of the most popular sports in the region. Due to their cultural significance (historical, cultural and socio-economic), martial arts have become an extremely thriving element for the local population extremisms in Russian society. However, as MMA becomes more popular, it poses serious security problems as extremist organizations use it for recruiting and propaganda purposes. The martial arts environment has become a breeding ground for various types of violent extremism across the ideological spectrum Jihadism for the extreme right. Among the most proactive organizations is the PMC (Private Military Company) Wagner, which has established a recruiting system based on a network of gyms and sports centers specializing in martial arts. PMC Wagner recruits fighters with the promise of financial rewards, career opportunities and shared ideological views such as nationalism or patriotism. For fighters from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, joining Wagner offers a lucrative alternative to an uncertain career in professional sports.

This insight examines the recruiting supply chain developed by PMC Wagner that leverages the martial arts environment and analyzes the key elements that influence its operations. Our research shows how PMC Wagner used martial arts to build a recruiting, advertising and promotion system. Through an in-depth analysis of the pro-Wagner online ecosystem, particularly on Telegram, we were able to partially reconstruct the recruitment supply chain and observe the connection between Wagner and the martial arts community. This connection is evident in the information disseminated within the ecosystem that reaches recruiting centers, mainly gyms and sports facilities. From this first data collection (Figure 1), part of the Wagner recruitment network appears to reflect the deep-rooted cultural importance of martial arts in Russian society.

It is important to note that building a recruitment network is a typical bottom-up system. The fitness studios shared by the Wagner broadcasters are not centers built by the PMC, but rather specialized and already active sports centers and fitness studios that are known in the area and, above all, have existing advertising systems. In practice, Wagner uses the networks that each center has already implemented. These centers joined Wagner for ideological reasons, e.g Ultranationalism And Right-wing extremismand formed an important part of the recruitment network.

Social network analysis

On March 10, 2023, the official Telegram channel of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the now deceased founder of Wagnerpublished a PDF with a list of 58 recruiting centers by city and address, with telephone reference. From this document, the names of the gyms that were involved in recruiting the group could be found. In addition, the gyms’ social media were examined to conduct a more in-depth, evidence-based investigation. The first piece of evidence that emerges from the study is the centrality of MMA competitions and the role of each individual fighter.

This begs the question: What are the key events in which recruited forces can best be deployed? The answer lies in tournaments – gatherings where offline and online propaganda converge. These events provide an opportunity to recruit additional manpower and expand the pool to include fighters not directly affiliated with PMC Wagner.

On the one hand, we see Wagner practically delegating some of the recruitment to the Wagner Centers, setting them up as megaphones of pro-Wagner and pro-violence propaganda; On the other hand, we notice that the social media of these centers becomes more active during national and international tournaments. During these events, the social media profiles of the fighters and Wagner centers maximize their communication and promotional activities. Wagner-affiliated gyms and fighters mutually promote athletic and paramilitary events (Figure 3). Participation of fighters in tournaments helps identify those who are ideologically aligned or in need of financial stability.

The second edition of The Insight Evidence shows how Pro Wagner events are promoted primarily through MMA competitions. Wagner uses MMA competitions as propaganda forums. Wagner-affiliated fighters participate in these events, which are shared widely on social media, expanding the group’s audience and impact. PMC Wagner has built an online and offline recruiting network permeated by pro-violence societies and extremist ecosystems such as the far right, ultra-nationalists, etc Jihadists. It is interesting to note that despite these conflicting ideologies, Wagner’s recruiters exploit the economic needs of already violent and radicalized subjects by luring them with the promise of an “adventurous life.” This narrative can be seen in Prigozhin’s film productionwhose aim is to mythologize the figure of the mercenary Wagner. Extremist ideology becomes merely an attractive and functional tool for recruiting new mercenaries.

Having established that the competition and the fighters are the key elements of the propaganda and that the centers act as the supporting infrastructure of the system, a one-stage analysis of the social networks was carried out (starting with the Two mode with fighters and tournaments), we focused exclusively on the fighters to identify the most active participants in martial arts tournaments, both online and offline, and to determine which Wagner-affiliated center they were associated with.

Figure 4 illustrates the main cluster of the Wagner-related fighter network. The size of the nodes (representing fighters) indicates their size PageRank Level. This measure determines the relevance of each node based on the number of incoming relationships and the importance of the connected source nodes. In general, it is assumed that the meaning of a node is influenced by the pages linked to it. In other words, PageRank shows the popularity of certain nodes within the network and their ability to interact with other important (popular) nodes.

Social network analysis shows that more than 60% of fighters come from the same Wagner Center (Figure 4: W Center 1). One fighter competed in multiple tournaments and acted as a liaison to several other gyms.

Although it might appear that W-Centre 1 and the fighter with a high PageRank are community leaders, this would be a misunderstanding. Given the structure of the Wagner recruiting system and its methods, the supply chain is leaderless and horizontal, relying on physical presence at tournaments rather than centralized leadership.

Diploma

The increasing popularity of MMA in Russia, driven by a combination of historical, cultural and socioeconomic factors, has raised significant safety concerns. This study shows how PMC Wagner exploited the martial arts landscape for recruitment and propaganda, building a sophisticated network that combined ideological indoctrination with financial incentives. The network allows Wagner to attract individuals with advanced combat skills, mobilize them efficiently, and expand his influence within and within Russia international. The analysis highlights the central role of MMA tournaments in PMC Wagner’s recruiting efforts. These events serve as crucial hubs where offline and online propaganda converge, allowing Wagner to attract recruits and expand his influence. Fighters who compete in these tournaments gain visibility and act as bridges to other gyms, facilitating the spread of Wagner’s message and recruiting efforts. While it is notable how Wagner’s leadership has capitalized on the popularity of the martial arts arena and select allied centers, understanding the full impact of this recruiting strategy requires on-the-ground insight. This deeper knowledge would provide a clearer picture of how these alliances contribute to Wagner’s recruiting success and overall operational reach.

Technology companies can play an important role in disrupting PMC Wagner’s recruiting supply chain by monitoring, regulating and taking proactive measures on their platforms where much of the group’s recruiting and propaganda efforts take place. Platforms must invest in AI and machine learning systems capable of detecting extremist content and recruitment patterns. These systems can analyze not only text, but also images, videos and metadata to detect signs of extremist activity, such as: B. coded language, symbols or recruitment narratives embedded in content. These automated systems should be supplemented by human moderators who review flagged content. For example, many pro-Wagner narratives are driven by prominent MMA personalities, influencers, or fighters who serve as the group’s brand ambassadors. Removing these influencers from platforms like Instagram, Telegram and VK will help dismantle their digital recruitment network. Additionally, real-time monitoring is important for dynamic threats such as extremist recruitment. This could include tracking trending topics and discussions that could indicate recruitment efforts or coordinated campaigns. Platforms can also set up alert systems to inform moderation teams of potential hot spots or spikes in extremist activity, enabling a faster and more targeted response to emerging threats.