Britain said Wednesday it will declare Russia’s Wagner mercenary group a terrorist organization.
The government said it would introduce an order in parliament that if approved would make it illegal to be a member of or support the group. The order would also allow the government to seize Wagner’s assets.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said Wagner “has been involved in looting, torture and barbarous murders. Its operations in Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa are a threat to global security.”
Wagner was involved in Russia’s war in Ukraine, and in June its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin carried out a brief rebellion against the Russian military.
Prigozhin was reported killed in a plane crash last month.
Britain had previously sanctioned Wagner and Prigozhin.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters