US Designates Russia’s Wagner Group As “Transnational Felony Group”

Washington:

America on Friday designated Russia’s Wagner group as a “transnational prison group,” elevating strain on the personal Russian military combating in Ukraine.

White Home nationwide safety spokesman John Kirby mentioned Wagner, managed by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a businessman near President Vladimir Putin, has about 50,000 fighters in Ukraine, 80 p.c of them drawn from prisons.

Kirby confirmed US intelligence images of North Korea supplying arms to Wagner for its Ukraine operations, and mentioned the personal military has change into a rival to the formal Russian navy.

The images, from November 18-19, present Russian rail vehicles coming into North Korea, selecting up a load of infantry rockets and missiles, and returning to Russia, he mentioned.  

He mentioned the US Treasury was formally designating Wagner as a transnational prison group, placing it in league with Italian mafia teams and Japanese and Russian organized crime.

The designation will enable the broader software of sanctions on the group’s sprawling international community, which incorporates mercenary operations in addition to companies in Africa and elsewhere.

Wagner “is a prison group that’s committing widespread atrocities and human rights abuses,” Kirby mentioned.

“We’ll work relentlessly to determine, disrupt, expose and goal those that are helping Wagner,” he mentioned.

Kirby additionally mentioned america had introduced its intelligence on Wagner’s North Korean buy to the UN Safety Council’s unit on North Korea sanctions.

The arms transfers from North Korea are in direct violation of United Nations Safety Council resolutions, Kirby mentioned.

Kirby mentioned there may be proof that Prigozhin’s confidence in Wagner fighters’ relative success in Ukraine has generated tensions within the Kremlin.

“Wagner is turning into a rival energy middle to the Russian navy and different Russian ministries,” Kirby mentioned.

“Prigozhin is attempting to advance his personal curiosity in Ukraine and Wagner is making navy selections based mostly largely on what they are going to generate for Prigozhin, when it comes to constructive publicity.”

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