After an internationally unrecognized referendum held during the occupation of Crimea suggested the peninsular supported being part of Russia, the Russian-backed Crimean parliament declared independence from Ukraine.

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/galleries/article-11762645/Putins-TV-propagandist-calls-London-turned-dust.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

Mezhevyi’s children were taken while he was being held in jail by Russian-backed separatists for 45 days.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/19/we-hugged-for-a-long-time-how-ukrainian-father-went-to-moscow-to-reclaim-his-children

Reports have also emerged that Gen. Salifou Mody, the deputy head of the military junta that has seized power, is traveling to Mali to seek support from the Russian-backed mercenary Wagner Group.

Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/02/united-states-embassy-niger-coup-00109408?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication

Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine have accused a British citizen who worked as an international conflict monitor of spying for Ukraine, a Russian news agency said on Friday.

Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-news-russia-putin-surovikin-soledar-b2261439.html

The city witnessed brutal battles between rebels based in eastern Aleppo and Russian-backed regime forces from 2012 to 2016.

Source: https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/02/syrian-quake-survivors-shelter-crumbling-aleppo-homes

The U.S. sees many African nations as strategic partners when it comes to national defense, and U.S. officials hope to diminish the influence of some mercenary groups — like Russian-backed Wagner Group — on the continent.

Source: https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/jill-biden-africa-rcna71834

This helped these rebel groups to control much of the south until 2018, when Russian-backed government forces drove them out of the region.

Source: https://gazette.com/news/us-world/factbox-then-and-now-how-arab-states-changed-course-on-syria/article_6c96987e-002b-55d7-b792-e01f3f41ac99.html