Canada imposed sanctions against the companies of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Russian private paramilitary unit “Wagner”

Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau announced new sanctions against Russia and Belarus during a press conference with Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine, on April 12.

“To maintain the pressure on the Russian regime, we are announcing new sanctions on 14 Russian individuals and 34 entities, including security targets, linked to the “Wagner” group. To put further pressure on Putin’s enablers in Belarus, we are also announcing additional sanctions on 9 entities related to the Belarusian financial sector,” said Trudeau.

The “Wagner” group is a private Russian paramilitary unit of mercenaries owned and financed by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian businessman with ties to Vladimir Putin. During Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, “Wagner” has been actively engaged in battles with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, particularly in the hostilities near Bakhmut and Soledar.

Earlier in 2023, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine recognized the private Russian military company “Wagner” as an international criminal organization. In addition, in March 2023, Lithuania became the first European country to adopt a similar statement.