‘Avengers’ Operation: Law Enforcement Detains Wagner Mercenaries in Moldova
Ukrainian and Moldovan law enforcement officers have detained a group of mercenaries from Wagner and other illegal armed groups who took part in the war on the side of Russia, the National Police of Ukraine reported.
The detainees include three Moldovan citizens. They fought from 2014 to 2023, taking part in the battle for Donetsk airport, the battle for Bakhmut and the creation of the Debaltseve cauldron as part of Wagner, the Somalia battalion and other armed groups. Some of them received medals and awards from the command of the occupation forces.
More than 200 police officers from the Main Investigation Department, the Strategic Investigation Department and the Criminal Investigation Department of the National Police of Ukraine, as well as officers from the Organised Crime Department and the Criminal Prosecution Department of the National Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Moldova were involved in the special operation. The operation was conducted under the supervision of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine and the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organised Crime and Special Affairs of Moldova.
As part of the first stage of the international operation ‘Avengers’, law enforcement officers conducted more than 50 searches at the suspects' residences and places of registration. They seized documents, computers, mobile phones with correspondence, photos and videos confirming the recruitment, conditions of service in Wagner and the detainees' participation in hostilities in Ukraine.
Moldovan police investigators served the three detainees with a notice of suspicion under Article 141(1) of the Criminal Code of Moldova - participation of a mercenary in an armed conflict or actions aimed at undermining the constitutional order or violating the territorial integrity of the state. The court is deciding on a preventive measure. The mercenaries face up to 10 years in prison.
Coordination between Ukrainian and Moldovan law enforcement agencies was made possible with the assistance of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine and Europol's AP CIC war crimes investigation project. A special working group of Ukrainian and Moldovan liaison officers was set up, and a Virtual Command Post (VCP) was deployed, allowing for rapid information exchange and real-time verification of data in Europol databases.
According to the National Police, these are only the first detainees out of 85 Moldovan citizens identified by Ukrainian operatives as participants in the war on the side of Russia. The police have already received information about their combat experience, family ties, contacts and whereabouts.
The National Police of Ukraine has opened a criminal proceeding to document the facts of recruitment, training, financing and combat use of these individuals against Ukraine.
The data of the detainees has already been transferred to the competent authorities of Moldova, where a new series of pre-trial investigations has been launched.
Russia bears full international responsibility for the crimes committed by the Wagner PMC in Ukraine, as it provided funding, operational support and coordinated their activities with the regular army. This is emphasised in the resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.