Wagner mercenaries detained in Moldova in Avengers international operation
Ukrainian and Moldovan police have detained three Wagner Group mercenaries and other fighters from illegal armed groups involved in Russia's war against Ukraine.
Source: Ukraine's National Police; Ivan Vyhivskyi, Chief of National Police; Prosecutor General's Office
Details: The three detainees are Moldovan nationals who participated in the battle for Donetsk airport, the capture of Bakhmut and the encirclement of Debaltseve between 2014 and 2023. They fought as part of the Wagner group, the Somali battalion and other armed formations of the so-called DPR [the Russian-backed Donetsk People's Republic - ed.] and Russia. Some of them received medals and awards from the Russian forces' military command.
More than 200 police officers were involved in the operation to detain the mercenaries.
Law enforcement officers from both countries carried out over 50 searches at the suspects' residences and registration addresses as part of the first phase of the Avengers international police operation.
As a result, documents, computer equipment and mobile phones were seized, containing messages, photos and videos with information about recruitment, service conditions in the Wagner group and evidence of the suspects' participation in combat operations in Ukraine.
Moldovan police have charged the three suspects under Article 141.1 of Moldova's Criminal Code for serving as mercenaries in an armed conflict, engaging in war-related or other violent actions aimed at overthrowing or undermining constitutional order or violating the territorial integrity of the state.
The court is currently deciding on their pre-trial detention, and they face up to 10 years in prison.
Authorities note that these are just the first of 85 Moldovan nationals identified by Ukrainian police as having fought for Russia. Ukraine's National Police has launched a special criminal investigation to document all cases of recruitment, training, financing and deployment of these individuals in combat against Ukraine. With the support of the International Police Cooperation Department of the National Police of Ukraine, their data has already been handed over to the relevant Moldovan law enforcement agencies, where a new series of pre-trial investigations has begun.
Quote from Vyhivskyi: "Over 200 police officers from both countries worked to document the crimes of the invaders. These are just the first among 85 Moldovan citizens identified by Ukrainian police as having fought on Russia's side. We have gathered information on their service records, family ties, contacts and current locations.
A report with our findings has already been sent to European law enforcement agencies, stressing the urgent need to establish an international database of war mercenaries and coordinate efforts to combat this growing threat. We are bringing this issue to the global stage and working with every civilised nation to address it.
We have identified 37 private military companies created by Russia to wage war in Ukraine and beyond since 2014. This poses serious risks for Europe, including societal destabilisation, a rise in organised crime, and the return of battle-hardened mercenaries to EU countries."
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The Hill
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Russia's strong ties with both Israel and Iran could help it emerge as a power broker
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When a society can no longer distinguish between good and evil, between victim and perpetrator, it gives up. This dynamic is one of the great constants of human history. It is a lesson people in free societies — and people in totalitarian societies who yearn to be free — should keep in mind during the climactic showdown underway in the Middle East. Israel has struck a blow to prevent Iran from developing nuclear bombs — weapons that it might credibly use toward its stated goal of removing Israel from the planet. Make no mistake: This is not simply a matter of regional security. Nor should it be a proxy for whether one supports or opposes the current Israeli government's policy on Gaza or other subjects. This conflict is a central front in a global contest in which the forces of tyranny and violence in recent years have been gaining ground against the forces of freedom, which too often are demoralized and divided. In a world full of bad actors, Iran is the most aggressive and dangerous totalitarian force of our time. Its leaders seek to weaken and destroy free society, democracy and human rights with Russian and Chinese support. In Iran, women are systematically oppressed and abused. Homosexuals are murdered. Those who think differently are imprisoned and tortured. In Tehran, the cynical abuse of the civilian population in Gaza as human shields is also cold-bloodedly conceived and financed. According to official state doctrine, the primary goal of the mullahs in Tehran is the annihilation of the State of Israel. Ayatollah Khamenei has described Israel as a 'cancerous tumor.' And clocks in the streets of Tehran celebrate countdowns to the 'destruction of Israel.' But Israel is only the first target. Once Israel falls, Europe and America will be the focus. Radical Sunni and Shiite Islamism has been preparing for this for decades. The fatwa against Salman Rushdie, 9/11, the attacks in Paris, the caliphate of ISIS — each event was a warning sign. Only those who did not want to see the signs are surprised today. The attacks are directed against our values, our way of life. It is therefore surprising that Israel is not being celebrated worldwide for its historic, extremely precise and necessary strike against Iranian nuclear weapons facilities and for the targeted killing of leading terrorists, but that the public response is dominated by anti-Israel propaganda. The intelligence and precision of Israel's actions are not admired but are instead used here and there to perpetuate blatantly antisemitic stereotypes. This attitude is characterized not only by racist undertones, but also by a strange self-forgetfulness. If the perpetrator-victim reversal that has been repeatedly observed since Oct. 7 applies even in the most obvious case — Iran — then this can only be interpreted to mean that we are in the process of losing the culture war, which in reality has long since become a war of civilizations. And we seem to have no problem with that. It is what Michel Houellebecq called 'submission' in his visionary novel 10 years ago. As someone who has 40 years' experience as a journalist and publishing executive, I believe every government should be questioned critically about all the details of its policies — above all on matters of war and its consequences. But those details should not be allowed to obscure larger historical truths. Perhaps a German of my generation has a useful vantage point. Born in 1963, I grew up in a country and continent still shadowed by World War II and its crimes, including an effort by Germany to eradicate Jews across Europe. The first half of my journalism career saw freedom on the march. The Soviet Union collapsed, authoritarian governments across Eastern Europe were routed, Germany was reunited under democracy. The second half of my career, however, with authoritarianism on the rise in all directions — with governments hostile to the very idea of journalism, as well as democracy, pluralism, rule of law and basic standards of decency. These unwelcome developments highlighted how fragile the triumphs of the late 20th century may be in the 21st. The contest between free societies and murderous tyrants is enduring. That's why warnings of dangerous escalation that can be heard from politicians in the West are particularly misplaced. The argument is as stale as it is false. Those warning of escalation are to blame for Vladimir Putin being on the verge of winning his terrible war of conquest in Ukraine. And those warning of escalation are to blame for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. This could have been prevented with decisive resistance from the West in the first days of the attack. Dictators decide for themselves when to escalate. Usually when they do not encounter enough strength and resistance. This also applies to Iran. If Israel does not achieve its goals — destruction of the nuclear facilities, maximum weakening of the terrorist regime and, ideally, the removal of the mullahs — the world will quickly look very different. China will seize this historic opportunity to annex Taiwan sooner than expected. Largely without resistance. The moment is favorable. Because America and Europe cannot win a three-front war and therefore cannot fight it. But if the anti-democratic triangle — China, Russia, Iran — succeeds in this coup, a different, non-democratic world order will prevail. That is why America and Europe, in their own interests alone, must stand united with Israel and do everything in their power to ensure that this historic liberation is achieved. This morning, my son asked me a question: 'In the near future, will Israel become more like us, living in peace, or will we become more like Israel?' It depends. It depends on us.
