In Poland, two Russians were sentenced to prison for recruiting individuals for the Wagner Group.

The District Court of Krakow found two Russian citizens guilty and sentenced them to prison for participating in an international armed group and acting on behalf of a foreign intelligence service.

This is reported by RMF24.

The convicted individuals are Russians Alexey T. and Andrey G.

Polish investigators state that both were recruiting fighters for the Russian group "Wagner" within the country. They put up several hundred stickers in Krakow and Warsaw with the phrases “We are here” and QR codes for contacting the militants.

They were also accused of working for Russian intelligence with the aim of destabilizing the situation in Poland. During the investigation, it was revealed that the men had also distributed posters mocking EU policies in Berlin and Paris.

The convicted did not plead guilty; however, they did not deny the fact of distributing the stickers.

In court, they expressed regret and stated that they were unaware of the consequences of their actions. They justified their behavior by a desire to earn money in a difficult life situation, rather than having connections with Russian special services.

Ultimately, the court sentenced both to 5.5 years in prison, although the prosecution had requested 8 years for each. The convicted individuals are likely to serve their sentences in Poland once the verdicts come into effect.

It is worth noting that until 2023, Russian fighters from "Wagner" were considered members of a private military company, but Russian leader Putin confirmed after the assassination of the group's leader that they were funded from the Russian budget. However, not all countries officially hold this position.

The Wagner group is known for its involvement in torture and a significant number of executions in various countries, some of which are detailed by journalists.

The Verkhovna Rada recognized the Russian group as an international criminal organization and urged the world to follow this example. In the UK, lawyers have filed a lawsuit against the Wagner group for terrorism and war crimes in Ukraine.