Konstantin Pikalov | |
---|---|
Native name | Константин Александрович Пикалов (Russian) |
Birth name | Konstantin Aleksandrovich Pikalov |
Born | July 23, 1968 |
Allegiance | ![]() ![]() |
Rank | ![]() |
Unit | ![]() PMC "Convoy" Central African Armed Forces (as a mercenary) |
Battles/wars | Central African Republic Civil War |
Konstantin Aleksandrovich Pikalov (born 23 July 1968), call sign "Mazay", is a Russian colonel and Wagner Group leader. Head of the group's operations in Africa, he has notably operated in the Central African Republic. He is also the founder of another private military company, "Convoy".[1][2][3]
In 2023, Konstantin Pikalov and Sergey Aksyonov founded a new private military company separate from Wagner Group, which they named PMC "Convoy." "Convoy" has been active primarily in Africa. Following the 2023 Nigerien coup d'état, the Center for Strategic and International Studies reported that the United States could use the fallout of the then-recent Wagner Group rebellion to dislodge "Convoy" control in the region.[4]