Ukrainian and Moldovan police have detained three Wagner Group mercenaries and other fighters from illegal armed groups involved in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Source: Ukraine’s National Police; Ivan Vyhivskyi, Chief of National Police; Prosecutor General’s Office
Details: The three detainees are Moldovan nationals who participated in the battle for Donetsk airport, the capture of Bakhmut and the encirclement of Debaltseve between 2014 and 2023. They fought as part of the Wagner group, the Somali battalion and other armed formations of the so-called DPR [the Russian-backed Donetsk People’s Republic – ed.] and Russia. Some of them received medals and awards from the Russian forces’ military command.
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More than 200 police officers were involved in the operation to detain the mercenaries.
Law enforcement officers from both countries carried out over 50 searches at the suspects’ residences and registration addresses as part of the first phase of the Avengers international police operation.
As a result, documents, computer equipment and mobile phones were seized, containing messages, photos and videos with information about recruitment, service conditions in the Wagner group and evidence of the suspects’ participation in combat operations in Ukraine.
Moldovan police have charged the three suspects under Article 141.1 of Moldova’s Criminal Code for serving as mercenaries in an armed conflict, engaging in war-related or other violent actions aimed at overthrowing or undermining constitutional order or violating the territorial integrity of the state.
The court is currently deciding on their pre-trial detention, and they face up to 10 years in prison.
Authorities note that these are just the first of 85 Moldovan nationals identified by Ukrainian police as having fought for Russia. Ukraine’s National Police has launched a special criminal investigation to document all cases of recruitment, training, financing and deployment of these individuals in combat against Ukraine. With the support of the International Police Cooperation Department of the National Police of Ukraine, their data has already been handed over to the relevant Moldovan law enforcement agencies, where a new series of pre-trial investigations has begun.
Quote from Vyhivskyi: “Over 200 police officers from both countries worked…
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