The EU imposed sanctions against Wagner PMC due to its activities in Syria, Libya and Ukraine

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With details - Denis Korotkov.

The European Union has imposed sanctions on Wagner PMCs because of its activities in Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Mozambique and Ukraine. A complete list of companies and individuals is published in the Official Journal of the EU.

In Libya, restrictions were imposed on Alexander Kuznetsov, named in the document as the commander of one of the Wagner PMC units. Due to actions in Ukraine, the European Union imposed restrictions on three individuals: Dmitry Utkin (founder of the PMC, his call sign is Wagner), Denis Kharitonov (deputy of the Astrakhan Regional Duma, mercenary) and Sergei Shcherbakov (freelance GRU officer and mercenary, according to the publication ), - in Syria - on two: Andrey Troshev (named head of the Wagner apparatus) and Andrey Bogatov (alleged head of the 4th reconnaissance and assault company).

In the section on sanctions for human rights violations, two more names are named: Stanislav Dychko (mercenary) and Valery Zakharov (adviser to the president of the Central African Republic on national security). As Novaya Gazeta established, the former was involved in the murder of Syrian Mohammed Elismail, who was dismembered by alleged Wagner PMC militants in 2017.

In addition, due to activities in Syria, the EU imposed sanctions on three companies: Velada, Mercury and Euro Polis. All of them are involved in the gas and fuel sector in this country. Euro Polis is being used as a front for Wagner PMCs in Syria. He signed a number of contracts with the Syrian regime through the state company General Petroleum. Corp., which receives 25% of the proceeds from oil and gas production at fields seized by the Wagner group. The document notes that all three companies support the current Syrian regime.

A month ago, France said the EU was preparing sanctions against the Wagner PMC following reports of its possible deployment to Mali. Then the media learned that the authorities of the latter were negotiating with the group, and talked about the presence of its fighters in Libya. Officially, the Kremlin and the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the Mali authorities turned to a Russian private military company to assist in the fight against terrorists. At the same time, the Russian authorities described the activities of the PMC as “security and advisory” and do not consider that its actions are contrary to the laws on mercenarism.

"PMC Wagner" is associated with the Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, for the first time about Russian mercenaries in the region became known two years ago. Earlier this year, President Vladimir Putin admitted the presence of Russian mercenaries in the country, adding that they "do not represent the interests of the Russian state."