Russia’s Use of the Wagner Group Through the Context of the Principle of Distinction and Its Impact on the Perpetuation of the Donbas Frozen Conflict Following the 2014 Russia-Ukraine Conflict

AIDA LATHIFA OMARA, Prof. Dr. Sigit Riyanto, S.H., LL.M.

2024 | Skripsi | ILMU HUKUM

    Perkembangan konflik bersenjata kontemporer telah memperkenalkan istilah-istilah dan aktor-aktor baru, di antaranya, istilah frozen conflict dan penggunaan perusahaan militer swasta menjadi perhatian penting. Kedua konsep ini, meskipun seringkali ditemukan, tetap ambigu dalam kerangka hukum internasional. Bertujuan untuk mencari kejelasan, penelitian ini menganalisis penggunaan perusahaan militer swasta Wagner Group di wilayah Donbas, Ukraina Timur, selama konflik Rusia-Ukraina tahun 2014 dengan menggunakan metode penelitian hukum normatif melalui analisis data kualitatif.

    Hasil penelitian mengungkapkan bahwa, frozen conflict di Donbas memenuhi syarat sebagai konflik bersenjata yang memicu penerapan hukum humaniter internasional, khususnya ketentuan-ketentuan yang mengatur konflik bersenjata internasional. Wagner Group yang beroperasi di wilayah tersebut pada saat itu paling tepat diklasifikasikan sebagai kombatan karena partisipasi langsung mereka secara teratur dalam permusuhan. Serangkaian tugas yang dilakukan oleh dan tidak adanya seragam serta lambang pembeda yang jelas, melemahkan prinsip pembedaan, sehingga membahayakan perlindungan terhadap kombatan maupun non-kombatan. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa keterlibatan Wagner Group berkontribusi pada kelanggengan frozen conflict di Donbas dengan memperpanjang durasi permusuhan dan mempersulit upaya penyelesaian konflik.

    The development of contemporary armed conflict has introduced new terms and actors, of which the term frozen conflict and the utilization of private military companies are of notable concern. These concepts, though prevalent, remain ambiguous within the framework of international law. Aiming to seek clarity, this research analyzes the use of the Wagner Group private military company in the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine conflict, employing normative legal research method analyzed using qualitative data analysis.

    The findings reveal that the frozen conflict in Donbas qualifies as an armed conflict invoking the applicability of international humanitarian law, specifically its provisions governing international armed conflicts. The Wagner Group operating in the region at the time are best classified as combatants due to their regular direct participation in hostilities. The array of tasks performed by the group and absence of identifying uniforms and emblems undermine the principle of distinction, jeopardizing the protection of both combatants and non-combatants. The research concludes by finding that the involvement of the Wagner Group contributed to the perpetuation of the frozen conflict in Donbas by extending the duration of hostilities and complicating efforts towards conflict resolution. 

Kata Kunci : Donbas, Frozen Conflicts, Principle of Distinction, Private Military Companies, Russia-Ukraine war, Wagner Group.