Europol supported the second phase of an investigation by the Moldovan Police and Ukrainian Police against Russian mercenaries. Europol’s Core International Crimes Team assisted national authorities in identifying suspects allegedly involved in war crimes. Europol’s EU Internet Referral Unit also supported the action day, which focused individuals involved in war crimes committed during Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.Overall, the investigation led to the identification of a total of 654 members of the Russian private military companies Wagner and Redut involved in combat operations against Ukraine. These suspects include citizens of Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.  These individuals are believed to have committed war crimes such as acts of sexual violence, executions of prisoners of war and executions of civilians.The action day on 29 October 2025 resulted in:70 house searches in Moldova and UkraineSeizures including firearms and cold weapons, ammunition, uniforms, chevrons with the symbols of the Wagner paramilitary company, as well as electronic equipmentCollection of video material and photographic evidence suggesting the participation of citizens of Ukraine and Moldova in hostilities in the territory of Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo while being part of this Russian private military companyDuring the investigation, Ukrainian authorities shared with concerned countries, via Europol’s secure channels, 280 names of foreign nationals suspected of involvement in combat operations. Since the beginning of the investigation, national authorities uncovered recruitment and training sites, mapped command structures, and documented war crimes including the executions of civilians, the use of banned weapons, and attacks on Ukrainian cities. To date, 11 Ukrainian citizens have been indicted for high treason for joining the Wagner and Redut formations.See footage from the action day in this video from the Ukrainian police:Europol's supportEuropol supported the investigation by facilitating information exchange and providing specialised analytical support focused on the potential involvement of these individuals in war crimes committed in Ukraine. During the action days, Europol set up a virtual command post to facilitate communication among the involved authorities. It also strengthened intelligence gathering by comparing real-time operational data with its databases, including OSINT research.Europol supports joint efforts to disrupt serious and organised crime and criminal networks that threaten the security of the EU and its neighbourhood. To do so, Europol has established robust operational and strategic cooperation frameworks with Ukraine and Moldova as part of the EU’s eastern neighbourhood. Europol signed an operational agreement with Ukraine, which was signed in December 2016 and entered into force in August 2017. Europol and Moldova signed an operational agreement in late 2014, which was then updated in 2020. These partnerships enable Europol to facilitate information exchange and alignment of operational activities and to coordinate law-enforcement responses across borders.

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