Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin told Reuters that "recent statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding payments to Wagner serve as direct evidence that the private Russian military group was an illegal arm of the Russian army in the war."
Kostin stated that his office "concluded that Wagner’s commander, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is one of the suspects in this year's investigations, and that his fighters are responsible for some of the most serious war crimes since the invasion on February 24, 2022."
He added, "Russia is trying to distinguish between Wagner forces and its regular army, but Putin's comments last week about state budget expenditures on Wagner served as direct evidence that they were not there de facto."
Kostin noted that "Wagner forces committed numerous atrocities among over 93,000 potential war crimes under investigation by his office," emphasizing that these are "among the most heinous crimes against our civilians and prisoners of war in the conflict."
He continued, "The Wagner group poses a threat not only to Ukraine but also to peace and security in many countries, some of which are in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East."
Kostin also urged allies, including the United States and Britain, to "designate Wagner as a terrorist organization so that it can be prosecuted and its assets frozen," pointing out that "Prigozhin is already a suspect in criminal activities in Ukraine, but the main thing is to stop the activities of such groups."
