EU imposes sanctions against Wagner military company

The European Union has added Wagner private military company to its sanctions list.

Russian media FAN, linked to the group's leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin, is also blacklisted, EU's Official Journal says.

The Wagner Group spearheaded the attacks against the Ukrainian towns of Soledar and Bakhmut in January 2023 and is actively participating in the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the statement says.

The Wagner Group is responsible for supporting material actions which undermine and threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine, the document adds. 

RIA FAN is part of the Patriot Media Group, a Russian media organization whose Board of Trustees is headed by Yevgeniy Prigozhin.

The media is involved in pro-government propaganda and disinformation on Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. RIA FAN refers to the ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine as a mission to stop "Ukrainian Nazis" and promotes actions undertaken by the Wagner Group.

RIA FAN is therefore supporting materially actions and policies which undermine and threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, the EU states.

In October 2020, the EU introduced sanctions against Yevgeniy Prigozhin in connection with his financing of the activities of Wagner private military company in Libya. In April 2022, new sanctions against Prigozhin were introduced during the full-scale war in Ukraine.