Світовий досвід розвитку приватних військових компаній у контексті глобалізаційних процесів

The article examines the historical aspects of the emergence and use of private military companies (hereinafter - PMCs), their essence and peculiarities of activity in the context of military conflict. In particular, special attention is paid to the example of the use of PMC “Wagner” on the territory of Ukraine as one of the elements of the so-called “hybrid war”. The specific characteristics of the main modern methods of recruitment of persons in places of detention, as well as the mechanisms for ensuring the personnel of the Wagner PMC and their implementation are investigated. It is additionally noted that today the demand for PMC services in the context of modern military conflicts is showing rapid growth, which is a matter of concern to the international community and creates threats in the international legal environment. Given the significant gaps in international law, there is no clearly defined legal status and mechanisms for regulating PMCs, which is related to their specific functionality. This makes it difficult to distinguish their activities from mercenarism and violates the fundamental principles of international law, in particular the political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, posing a threat both on the continental and global level. Given the above, the problem of qualifying mercenarism in the context of military conflicts as a negative social phenomenon is extremely relevant, which in the context of modern challenges requires the development and implementation of effective legal mechanisms to regulate the activities of PMCs at the national and international levels. Based on the study, it is concluded that in order to ensure global security and justice, the international community should take urgent measures to improve the legal regulation of PMCs. This will help to avoid abuses and ensure proper accountability for their activities in the context of modern conflicts, in particular, hybrid wars.