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US to designate Russia's Wagner Group as 'transnational criminal' entity

US to impose new sanctions against the Russian private military group next week

John Kirby Pentagon spokesman John Kirby | AP

The White House on Friday said that the United States will designate Russia's Wagner group a “transnational criminal organisation”. White House spokesperson John Kirby said that additional sanctions would be imposed against Russian private military company next week.

Kirby said that Wagner's growing clout in Russia was causing tensions among the country's military group.

At the daily White House briefing, Kirby told reporters that “In coordination with the designation, we will also impose additional sanctions next week against Wagner and its support network across multiple continents.” “These actions recognise the transcontinental threat that Wagner poses, including through its ongoing pattern of serious criminal activity,” he said.

According to reports, declaring Wagner a transnational criminal organisation under US executive order 13581 prohibits Americans from funding the group. It also freezes any US assets of Wagner.

Kirby said that with these actions US is providing a message to others considering to support the group. “With these actions, and more to come, our message to any company that is considering providing support to Wagner is this: Wagner is a criminal organisation that is committing widespread atrocities and human rights abuses, and we will work relentlessly to identify, disrupt, expose, and target those assisting Wagner,” Kirby was quoted by Reuters.

Last month US alleged that the Wagner Group had taken delivery of an arms shipment from North Korea to help Russian forces in Ukraine. Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin had refuted the allegations and called them "speculations".

Kirby, during the briefing, also released newly declassified photos of Russian rail cars traveling from Russia to North Korea back in November, that US believes was the initial delivery of infantry rockets and missiles for use by the mercenary organisation Wagner Group in Ukraine, reported CNN.

He also said that Russian president Vladimir Putin has been increasing depending on Wagner for military support that is causing tensions in Moscow.

Wagner has currently about 50,000 personnel deployed to Ukraine, including 10,000 contractors and 40,000 convicts recruited from Russian prisons, Kirby said. He also added that the information they have suggest that Russian Defense Ministry has reservations on recruiting Russian prisoners on the field. 

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