When a smashed tablet was found on a Libyan battlefield, BBC journalists got an exclusive insight into Wagner, one of the world’s most secretive mercenary groups.
Reporting for the BBC, investigative journalists Ilya Barabanov and Nader Ibrahim pored over the tablet to uncover information about the Russian mercenary group and its front-line fighting methods. The tablet contained equipment lists and military maps, which Barabanov and Ibrahim were able to corroborate with drone footage, location dots, and recent fighting around South Tripoli and other locations.
To show the tablet's importance, the BBC's story uses an embedded scrollytelling feature, so the reader can see how that data was used to verify locations and weaponry.
The investigation corroborated their reporting by collecting civilian testimony and open-source evidence. After months of research, the journalists were confident the tablet provided solid proof the Russian government supported the mercenary group. They also concluded that, despite a ceasefire, mercenary fighters were still in Libya and destabilising peace efforts.
On the back of Barabanov and Ibrahim’s reporting, a legal case was launched on behalf of a Syrian family of a murdered man, persuading Russia to investigate Wagner fighters in the region.
