The European police authority is supporting the Moldovan and Ukrainian police in their investigations against mercenaries in Putin’s service.
October 31, 2025, 4:39 p.mOctober 31, 2025, 4:46 p.m
The investigation led to the identification of a total of 654 members of the Russian mercenary companies Wagner and Redut who were involved in combat operations against Ukraine. This emerges from a media release published on Friday.
The suspects include nationals of Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
According to Europol, they are accused of war crimes such as sexual violence, the execution of prisoners of war and the killing of civilians.
On October 29th, police authorities held a day of action against suspected war criminals:
- According to the statement, there were 70 house searches in Moldova and Ukraine.
- Seizures included firearms and stabbing weapons, ammunition, uniforms, chevrons with the symbols of the Wagner mercenary force and electronic devices.
- It was possible to collect video material and photographic evidence “indicating the participation of citizens of Ukraine and Moldova in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of Congo while they were part of this Russian private military company.”
Virtual command center
Europol said it supported the investigation “by facilitating the exchange of information and providing specialized analyses.” These analyzes focused on the possible involvement of suspected individuals in the war crimes committed in Ukraine.
In addition, a virtual command center has been set up to facilitate communication between the actors involved and to facilitate clarification.
According to the Europol statement, since the beginning of the investigation, national authorities have uncovered Russian mercenary troops’ recruiting and training sites, mapped command structures and documented war crimes, including the execution of civilians, the use of banned weapons and attacks on Ukrainian cities. So far, eleven Ukrainian citizens have been charged with treason because they joined the Wagner and Redut formations.
Cooperation between police authorities in Ukraine and Moldova and Europol is possible thanks to agreements created to combat serious and organized crime.
Sources
(dsc)