Europol supports Ukraine and Moldova in identifying 654 Russian war criminals as Kyiv extradites captured Russian soldier for war crimes trial in Lithuania

Europol supported the second phase of an investigation by the Moldovan Police and Ukrainian Police against Russian mercenaries. Europol’s Core International Crimes Team assisted national authorities in identifying suspects allegedly involved in war crimes. Europol’s EU Internet Referral Unit also supported the action day, which focused individuals involved in war crimes committed during Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

Overall, the investigation led to the identification of a total of 654 members of the Russian private military companies Wagner and Redut involved in combat operations against Ukraine. These suspects include citizens of Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. These individuals are believed to have committed war crimes such as acts of sexual violence, executions of prisoners of war and executions of civilians.

The action day on 29 October 2025 resulted in:

• 70 house searches in Moldova and Ukraine
• Seizures including firearms and cold weapons, ammunition, uniforms, chevrons with the symbols of the Wagner paramilitary company, as well as electronic equipment
• Collection of video material and photographic evidence suggesting the participation of citizens of Ukraine and Moldova in hostilities in the territory of Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo while being part of this Russian private military company

During the investigation, Ukrainian authorities shared with concerned countries, via Europol’s secure channels, 280 names of foreign nationals suspected of involvement in combat operations. Since the beginning of the investigation, national authorities uncovered recruitment and training sites, mapped command structures, and documented war crimes including the executions of civilians, the use of banned weapons, and attacks on Ukrainian cities.

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Meanwhile, Ukraine for the first time has extradited a captured Russian soldier for war crimes trial in Lithuania.

"For the first time since the start of full-scale aggression, Ukraine has handed over a Russian serviceman to a foreign state, Lithuania, for real criminal prosecution for war crimes," Ukraine's prosecutor general Ruslan Kravchenko said on Telegram.

Kyiv is determined to hold Russian military figures personally responsible for the 2022 invasion and is seeking international justice for numerous alleged atrocities committed by the Russian army.

Officials said the extradited man — a sailor who had served in the Russian military police — was captured by the Ukrainian army in the Zaporizhzhia region near the southern village of Robotyne.

He was “involved in the illegal detention, torture, and inhumane treatment of civilians and prisoners of war,” Kravchenko said.