England To Set Wagner Group As Terrorist, Kremlin: Nothing To Comment On

Illustration of the Wagner Group army. (Twitter/@Archer83Able)

JAKARTA - Russia says there is nothing to comment on, as Britain plans to include the Wagner Group on the list of terrorist organizations, so being a member or a supporter is illegal.

The draft order, which will be submitted to parliament, will allow Wagner's assets to be categorized as terrorist property and confiscated, the interior ministry said in a statement.

Interior Minister Suella Braverman described Wagner as a "cruel and destructive" group, acting as "Russian military tools under the leadership of Vladimir Putin abroad," he said.

Separately, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Wagner Group did not exist legally.

"There's nothing to comment on," he said when asked about the action.

The Wagner Group is considered to be involved in looting, torture, and heinous killings across Ukraine, the Middle East, and Africa, Britain said in a statement, calling it a threat to global security.

"They are terrorists, clear and simple. This prohibition order clarifies that in British law," said Braverman.

This order is expected to take effect on September 13, after which it becomes a member or promotes the group, regulates or delivers speeches at meetings and displays its logo in public as a criminal offense and can be sentenced to up to 14 years in prison.

It is known that the Wagner Group has been operating in Syria and a number of countries in northern and western Africa. They recruited thousands of inmates from Russian prisons to fight in Ukraine, becoming the main attacking force for Russia's winter attacks in 2022-2023 there.

In June, the Wagner Group launched a brief insurgency in Russia, which was condemned as a betrayal by President Vladimir Putin.