The United States government has announced that new sanctions will be imposed against the Wagner group, the mercenary military company fighting in Ukraine in the service of Russia, responsible for various attacks on Ukrainian territory including the one on the city of Bakhmut, in Donetsk. The group will be listed as a major “transnational criminal organization”, a definition that will allow the US government to impose tougher sanctions against the Wagner group, further reducing its ability to do business internationally.
The United States has accused the organization of having relations with North Korea for the supply of weapons, in violation of the sanctions to which the country has been subjected for some time. According to US government estimates, the Wagner group spends around 100 million dollars a month to finance its military activities in Ukraine, relying on around 50,000 mercenaries, most of whom are enlisted in Russian prisons.
