During the international operation "Avengers," Ukrainian and Moldovan police apprehended three Moldovan citizens who fought against Ukraine as part of the Wagner Group and other illegal armed formations.
According to reports from the National Police of Ukraine, the three Moldovan citizens operated within the Russian army during the occupation of Bakhmut, among other engagements, and some of them received awards from the military leadership of the occupiers.
Specifically, from 2014 to 2023, they participated in combat operations at the Donetsk airport, contributed to the creation of the "Debaltseve Cauldron" as part of the Wagner Group, the "Somalia" battalion, and other armed formations of the "DPR" and Russia.
To neutralize the mercenaries, over 200 police officers from the Main Investigation Department, the Department of Strategic Investigations, and the Criminal Investigation Department of the National Police, as well as staff from the Organized Crime Combat Unit and the Criminal Prosecution Unit of the National Inspectorate for Investigations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Moldova, were involved.
The procedural oversight of the special operation was conducted by the leadership of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine and the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases of Moldova.
The operation was supported by the GUR of the Ministry of Defense and Europol, which formed a special working group of specialists from Ukraine and Moldova. Additionally, a Virtual Command Post (VCP) was organized to facilitate the rapid exchange of information among all law enforcement agencies and to verify data in Europol's databases in real-time.
It is reported that during the first phase of the international police operation "Avengers," law enforcement officers from both countries conducted over 50 searches at the residences and registered addresses of the individuals involved.
Documents, computer equipment, and mobile phones containing correspondence, photo and video content that provide information about recruitment, conditions of service in the Wagner Group, and confirm the detainees' participation in combat operations on Ukrainian territory were seized.
Moldovan investigators informed the three individuals of their suspicion for participating as mercenaries in armed conflict, military, or other violent actions aimed at overthrowing or undermining the constitutional order or violating the territorial integrity of the state (Article 141, paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova). The court is currently deciding on their preventive measures. The suspects face up to ten years in prison.
"These are just the first of 85 Moldovan citizens identified by the operational units of the Ukrainian police who participated in the war on the side of Russia. Thanks to the work of the Criminal Analysis Department, police obtained information regarding their service records, family ties, contacts, and locations," the statement reads.
It is noted that the National Police investigators have opened a special main criminal proceeding, during which they document all facts of their recruitment, training, funding, and use in combat operations against Ukraine. Their data has already been sent to the competent law enforcement authorities in Moldova, where a new series of investigations has been initiated against them.
According to the data from the Office of the Prosecutor General, an investigation is underway regarding the participation of third-country citizens in combat operations against Ukraine within units controlled by the RF Armed Forces. This concerns the Wagner Group, "Legion," "Veterans," "Redoubt," "Rusich," and others. Information about 20 citizens who fought in these units has already been sent to the Republic of Moldova.
Mercenaries in the RF Army
As reported by UNIAN, it is known that mercenaries from third countries are fighting in the RF army. For instance, it was reported that Russia deceitfully recruited hundreds of Yemeni men for combat operations in Ukraine through a company linked to the Houthi rebel group. Yemeni recruits who traveled to Russia stated that they were promised high-paying jobs and even Russian citizenship. However, upon arrival in the country, they were forcibly conscripted into the Russian army and sent to the front lines in Ukraine.