Ukraine Takes First Actions Against Foreign Wagner Mercenary
As part of the global anti-terror operation known as ‘Avengers-2,’ Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have for the first time gathered substantial evidence and officially held a foreign member of the Russian private military company ‘Wagner’ accountable.
This fighter participated personally in military operations involving the capture and destruction of the city of Bakhmut, one of the most intense hotspots on the frontlines.
Not only did he receive medals from the private military company, but he was also awarded a state honor by Russia, highlighting his significant role within this shadowy organization.
According to Ukraine’s National Police, the individual is a Moldovan citizen.
He has been charged under Article 447 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which pertains to mercenarism—the conduct of participating in combat for monetary gain or on behalf of private military structures.
This development marks a critical precedent in Ukraine’s ongoing fight against illegal armed formations.
Additionally, authorities in Moldova have detained 25 individuals who fought as part of Wagner in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Among them, eight are already suspected of involvement in illegal armed groups, while the rest are being pursued through international search, with investigations into their possible war crimes including killings, torture, and violence against civilians and prisoners in Ukraine.
What is known about Wagner PMC? It is a Russian private military company whose mercenaries have been engaged in conflicts across the globe, including Ukraine.
Multiple reports have documented war crimes committed by Wagner fighters against Ukrainian civilians and soldiers.
One former prisoner and Wagner veteran, Azamat Uldarov, admitted to carrying out orders that resulted in the deaths of Ukrainian children.
German intelligence revealed that Wagner operatives were involved in the mass murders in Bucha, executing acts of genocide on Kyiv region.
Several countries—Ukraine, the USA, Lithuania, Canada, Estonia, and Latvia—consider Wagner a criminal organization internationally, with the UK and Lithuania designating it as a terrorist group.
In the Chasiv Yar area, Ukrainian forces are combating former Wagner soldiers who hold command positions and impose brutal discipline on their subordinates.
A captured paratrooper, Vladislav Kornil, reported that Wagner commanders demeaned conscripts and set public punishments for disobedience.
These elements regarded themselves as elite, dismissing mobilized soldiers as ‘second class.’ Ukrainian police and security services, in cooperation with Moldovan counterparts, have uncovered 654 Wagner and Redut mercenaries, establishing recruitment and training bases, locations of deployment, and gathering evidence of war crimes including civilians and prisoners’ executions, use of banned weapons, and other violations of international law.
This extensive operation highlights the involvement of foreign combatants in the conflict and underscores the importance of international cooperation to combat states and groups that sponsor terrorism.