‘Hell’s Army’ Director on the Rise of Russian Mercenary Legion the Wagner Group, and a Warning for the U.S.: ‘This Darkness Is Coming Everywhere’
By Rafa Sales Ross
Published on March 15, 2026.
Director Richard Rowley has directed a documentary about the rise of the Russian state-funded private mercenary faction The Wagner Group, led by dissident Russian journalist Katya Hakim. The film, "Hell's Army," follows Hakim as she tracks Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin across the globe. Rowley's research was conducted by veteran journalist Denis Korotkov, who introduced him to his team at The Dossier Center, an investigative project led by Russian civil activist Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The director believes the film's portrayal of the Wagner Group represents the death of the liberal order we've lived under. He also warns against the increasing authoritarian turn in our global culture.
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