The United States (US) has designated Russia’s Wagner mercenary group as “transnational criminal organisation”, heaping pressure on the private army that has recruited Russian prisoners in tens of thousands to join the conflict in Ukraine.
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| John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington. Photo: VOA |
According to Al Jazeera:
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday that Wagner, controlled by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a businessman close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, had about 50,000 fighters in Ukraine, 80 percent of them drawn from Russia’s prison system.
The designation will allow a wider application of sanctions against the group’s sprawling global network, which includes mercenary operations as well as businesses in Africa and elsewhere.
