The UK says it will declare Russia’s Wagner mercenary group a banned terrorist organization

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — The U.K. says it will declare Russia’s Wagner mercenary group a banned terrorist organization. British officials say the group remains a threat to global security even after the death of leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. The government said an order will be introduced in Parliament on Wednesday to proscribe the group under the Terrorism Act. The designation, once approved by lawmakers, will bar membership in or support for Wagner, whose fighters were involved in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The ban also will allow U.K. authorities to seize the organization’s assets. Home Secretary Suella Braverman said Wagner members “are terrorists, plain and simple.”