The European Union anti-terrorism agency, Europol, alongside the Moldovan and Ukrainian police, has identified 654 members of the Russian private military companies, Wagner and Redut, involved in combat operations against Ukraine.

The agency stated that the identified suspects, following coordinated investigation, include citizens of Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Describing the discovery as a second phase of the war crimes investigation, Europol noted that the identified individuals “are believed to have committed war crimes such as acts of sexual violence, executions of prisoners of war, and executions of civilians.”

Revealing that a policing operation was carried out on October 29, the network said Europol’s core international crime team conducted 70 house searches in Moldova and Ukraine and seized firearms, electronic equipment, cold weapons, ammunition, and uniforms, as well as chevrons with inscriptions of the Wagner paramilitary company.

It added that the police were equally able to retrieve a collection of video material and photographic evidence, which suggested the participation of citizens of Ukraine and Moldova in hostilities in the territory of Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, confirming their loyalty to the Russian private military company.

Europol explained that “Ukrainian authorities shared with concerned countries, using Europol’s secured channels, 280 names of foreign nationals suspected to be involved in the combat operations.”

The network said, “Since the beginning of the investigation, national authorities have uncovered recruitment and training sites, mapped command structures, and documented war crimes, including the executions of civilians, the use of banned weapons, and attacks on Ukrainian cities.”

Left unnamed, the agency stated that 11 Ukrainian citizens have been indicted for “high treason for joining the Wagner and Redut formations.”

Explaining its role, Europol noted that it supported the investigation by facilitating information exchange and providing specialised analytical support focused on the potential involvement of identified individuals in war crimes committed in Ukraine.

“During the action days, Europol set up a virtual command post to facilitate communication among the involved authorities. It also strengthened intelligence gathering by comparing real-time operational data with its databases, including OSINT research,” it stated.