Security spokesman for President Biden in the White House, John Kirby, says that the United States labels the Russian Wagner group as an international criminal organization. – Wagner is a criminal organization that is guilty of extensive evil and human rights violations, explains Kirby. – We will work relentlessly to identify, disrupt, uncover and target those who help Wagner, he adds. The group is known for its brutality. They have also received a lot of attention for their important role in the war in Ukraine. In addition to participating as mercenaries in Ukraine, the organization has previously participated in conflicts in Africa and the Middle East. – A political act Head lecturer for intelligence at the Defense College, Tom Røseth, is unsure what practical significance the classification will have for the Wagner group. – It is both a legal and a political act, he explains. Røseth points out that sanctions can be introduced, but that since the Wagner group is an organization internal to Russia, this can be difficult to enforce. What he believes is a possibility, on the other hand, could be to punish individual participants in the organization: – People who have participated in that organization or who lead that organization will then be able to get reactions when they come abroad or if they come in connection with American jurisdiction. Among other things, he refers to being able to freeze funds that individuals have in the US. He sees the effect of the classification as more political than something of significant practical importance. – It is more of a political act, I think first and foremost. – I am a little unsure of what the American side can do, says Tom Røseth from the Norwegian Defense Academy if they expect the sanctions. Photo: Dan Henrik Klausen / news “Signature method” for executions Former mercenary and now professor at the University of Georgetown, Washington DC, Sean Mcfate, has explained to news what type of person joins the Wagner group. Yevgeny Nuzhin was brutally killed by the Wagner group after a prisoner extradition from Ukraine. The execution of the defector was filmed and posted on Telegram. Photo: WarLeaksUkraine.com – This profession attracts three different types of people. – It attracts desperate people who have some knowledge of firearms, or in this case not, if they have been in prison. It attracts psychopaths who just want to kill people, and it sometimes attracts romantics, people who want to go on a military expedition and have a vision of themselves as a superhero in a Hollywood movie, Mcfate explains. He goes on to tell how, among other things, the organization has its own “signature way” of executing rebels and defectors – by smashing their heads with a sledgehammer. Increased use despite tension John Kirby in the White House says that Putin has increased the use of Wagner soldiers in Ukraine. He estimates that approximately 50,000 Wagner personnel have been sent to the country. Nevertheless, there will be increasing tensions between the Wagner group and the Russian Ministry of Defence. On 13 January, the leader of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, came with even more criticism of the Russian defense through the messaging service Telegram: – They are constantly trying to steal the victory from Wagner. The man referred to as “Putin’s chef”, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is the leader of the Wagner group. Photo: AP Gets weapons from North Korea At the same time that Kirby announced the new classification, he also showed a photo indicating that Russia and the Wagner group have received weapons support from North Korea. The satellite image he showed is from 18 November last year, but he explains that he expects that the Wagner group will continue to receive weapons from North Korea in the future. At the end of last month, Yevgeny Prigozhin denied that the group had received weapons from the east of the country. This photo is to prove that North Korea has delivered infantry rockets and missiles to Russia for the Wagner group to use them, explains John Kirby. Photo: LEAH MILLIS / Reuters
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The US labels the Russian Wagner group as an international criminal organization – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
