Vladimir Putin-linked mercenary group will be put on par with Isil and al-Qaeda, after death of its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin
The Wagner group of mercenaries is to be proscribed as a terrorist organisation, putting it on a par with Isil and al-Qaeda in a move by Britain to put further pressure on Vladimir Putin.
The group has played a central role in the Russian president’s invasion of Ukraine as well as mounting destabilising operations across the globe including in Africa and Syria.
Proscription will make it a criminal offence to belong to Wagner, attend its meetings, encourage support for it or carry its logo in public, similar to other terrorist groups. Offences under the ban can carry jail terms of up to 14 years.
It also means that Wagner’s assets and finances can be categorised as terrorist property and seized. It will have implications for Wagner’s ability to raise money if any funds went through financial institutions in Britain.