Russians who fought in Africa, Syria and Ukraine fell under EU sanctions against Wagner PMC

The European Union has approved sanctions against eight Russians and three legal entities associated with PMC Wagner. This is stated in the official EU journal.

Restrictive measures were introduced for actions in Syria, Libya and Ukraine and imply the freezing of assets in Western countries, as well as a ban on travel to EU countries.

The black list included, in particular, Dmitry Utkin, who is called the founder and commander of the Wagner group in the document, Stanislav Dychko, a mercenary of the Wagner PMC, and Valery Zakharov, a key figure in the command structure of the Wagner group.

The latter is considered responsible in the EU “for serious violations of human rights committed by Wagner in the CAR.

“In particular, we are talking about the murder of three Russian journalists in 2018. It was Valery Zakharov who was responsible for their safety, ”the resolution emphasizes.

For “participation” in hostilities in Ukraine on the side of the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR, “mercenaries of PMC Wagner” Denis Kharitonov and Sergei Shcherbakov, as well as “executive director of PMC Wagner” Andrey Troshev and “the head of the 4th assault and reconnaissance company of the group “Andrey Bogatov. They are said to be involved in the group’s military operations in Syria.

In addition, the list includes Russian Alexander Kuznetsov. According to Brussels, he participated in the hostilities in Libya as part of a private security company.

The sanctions also affected the Velada, Mercury and Euro Plus companies, which were exploring and extracting resources in Syria.

“Now the Wagner group operates in Syria, Libya, Ukraine, where it undermines the territorial integrity. These people are involved in gross violations of human rights, “- said a senior official, reports the BBC with reference to Reuters.