UK imposes sanctions on Russians linked to Wagner PMC and Skripal poisoning

The British government said on Thursday, November 7, that it was imposing 46 new sanctions against Russia, including against citizens linked to the mercenary PMC Wagner. The sanctions also targeted a military officer whom London accuses of involvement in the 2018 attack using the nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury, Reuters reports.

The Foreign Office said it had expanded its sanctions regime over chemical weapons use to include Denis Sergeev, who British police have accused of attempting to murder former double agent Sergei Skripal.

“Sergeev provided support for the preparation and use of the Novichok chemical weapon in Salisbury… and played a coordinating role in London on the days of the attack,” the government said in a statement.

Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury, southern England, in March 2018. British authorities say Novichok was applied to the handle of the Skripals' front door.

Police have charged three Russians in absentia over the incident, who British authorities believe are members of the country's military intelligence service (GRU). Sergeev, who London believes was operating under the pseudonym Sergei Fedotov, is the latest to be charged.

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A public hearing into the death of a woman who was accidentally poisoned with Novichok has heard Skripal's statement blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin for the attempt on his life.

Moscow has repeatedly denied Britain's involvement in the poisoning. The Russian embassy in London did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters on the new sanctions.

The UK Foreign Office said sanctions had also been imposed on individuals and entities in three African countries – the Central African Republic, Libya and Mali – over links to Wagner.

By acting as a private army, Wagner has allowed Russia to intervene in wars in countries including Syria, Libya and Mali. A number of countries, including the US, consider Wagner to be a criminal group that plunders African states.

The new sanctions also target three Kremlin-linked private mercenary groups, including the Afrika Korps, and 11 individuals linked to Russian-backed forces.

The sanctions also target organizations based in China, Turkey and Central Asia that supply and manufacture goods including machine tools, microelectronics and drone components, the department said in a statement.

“Today's measures disrupt the supply of vital equipment for Putin's war machine and disrupt Russia's malign activity around the world,” the Foreign Office said.

Prepared by: Sergey Daga