New Delhi
The United States administration on Friday (January 20) designated Russian mercenary group Wagner as a transnational criminal organisation with White House national security spokesperson John Kirby saying that the group is committing widespread atrocities and human rights abuses. Kirby said that Wagner has about 50,000 fighters in Ukraine and 80 per cent of them are drawn from prisons. Wagner "is a criminal organisation that is committing widespread atrocities and human rights abuses. We will work relentlessly to identify, disrupt, expose and target those who are assisting (it)," Kirby said, according to a report by news agency AFP.
Showing photographs of North Korea supplying arms to Wagner for its operations in Ukraine, Kirby said the mercenary group has become a rival to the formal Russian military. The photographs from November 18-19 last year, showed Russian rail cars entering North Korea, picking up a load of infantry rockets and missiles, and returning to Russia, Kirby said, adding, the US presented its intelligence on Wagner's purchase to the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) unit on North Korea sanctions.
The arms transfers from North Korea are in direct violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, he further said.
The White House national security spokesperson also pointed out that Wagner is becoming a rival power centre to the Russian military and other Russian ministries.
"Prigozhin is trying to advance his own interest in Ukraine and Wagner is making military decisions based largely on what they will generate for Prigozhin, in terms of positive publicity," Kirby further said on Friday. He added that the US Treasury was formally designating Wagner as a transnational criminal organisation. The designation would allow the wider application of sanctions on the group's sprawling network across the world, which includes operations in Africa and elsewhere too.
Since the beginning of Russia's offensive in Ukraine, Wagner's boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has claimed credit for Moscow's advances over several months towards the eastern Ukraine city of Bakhmut, including the capture last week of neighbouring Soledar. On Thursday, Prigozhin, a businessman close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that Russia had a lot to learn from Ukraine's army.
(With inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.