Putin acknowledged that Wagner PEC was an illegal part of the Russian army - Prosecutor General
This was stated by the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin in an interview with Reuters, published on Monday, June 3. So, last week, Putin stated that Wagner PVC and its founder Yevhen Prigogin received about $ 2 billion in financing from Russia last year.
While Russia tries to separate the forces of Wagner PEC from its military, Putin's comments on the state budget expenditures on mercenaries, according to Kostin, are "direct proof that they are not only actually but perhaps illegally part of the Russian army ". The use of mercenaries by the countries involved in armed conflicts is prohibited by the Geneva Conventions.
According to Kostin, among more than 93,000 cases of potential military crimes investigated by the Attorney General's office, there are many cases of cruelty committed by the Wagner PEC. The Prosecutor General notes that these atrocities are "one of the most serious crimes against our civilians and prisoners of war. " Kostin also emphasizes that Wagner PEC poses a threat not only to Ukraine, but also to peace and security in many countries, including Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.
He appeals to the Allies, including the United States and the United Kingdom, to recognize Wagner PEC with a terrorist organization to bring it accountable and freeze its assets. Kostin notes that Prigogine is already a person in a criminal case in Ukraine, but the main thing is to stop the activity of such groups, the Prosecutor General emphasizes.