Wagner founder says ex-US Marine general working for Russian mercenary group
- Yevgeny Prigozhin revealed the American is commanding a British battalion on the battlefield
- Founded in 2014, Wagner group has been active in Ukraine, Africa and the Middle East in recent years
In response to a request for comment from Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, Prigozhin said: “There are not very many Finnish citizens in the Wagner PMC, about 20 people. But for obvious reasons, I cannot give exact information about them”.
“I have a very good opinion about the Finns on the battlefield. They are fighting in a British battalion [as part of Wagner PMC], which is commanded by a US citizen, a former general of the Marine Corps,” Prigozhin said as quoted by the press service of his company Concord.
Wagner denies hand in sledgehammer killing of Russian fighter, blames US
But the Russian government has always denied any ties to paramilitary groups.
For years, the Wagner group has been suspected of playing a role in realising the Kremlin’s overseas ambitions, including in Ukraine where Wagner fighters have been at the forefront of Moscow’s February offensive.
The UN, Western governments and aid groups have accused the Wagner group of atrocities against civilians.
This month Wagner opened a headquarters in Russia’s second city of Saint Petersburg.