Wagner’s Russian paramilitary group opened its first official headquarters in Russia on Friday in the city of St. Petersburg, AFP reported.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, who recently confirmed that he founded the group, whose fighters were stationed in Ukraine, as well as Latin American and African countries, announced the opening of the headquarters last week on the social media page of his company Concord.

The gleaming glass-fronted multi-story building, topped with a large Wagner logo, opened on Friday.

“The mission of the Wagner PMC Center is to create a comfortable environment for the generation of new ideas in order to increase Russia’s defense capabilities,” Prigozhin said in a statement.

Last month, Prigozhin put an end to years of rumors by admitting that he founded the group.

For years, Wagner’s group has been suspected of involvement in Moscow’s ambitions abroad, with the Kremlin repeatedly denying any connection to the group.

Wagner’s group and its leader played an increasingly prominent role in the offensive against Ukraine. (News.ro)