Russian mercenaries in Ukraine linked to far-right extremists

Yevgeny Prigozhin, who runs the Wagner Group, pictured before a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, at the Kremlin in 2017. Photograph: Sergei Ilnitsky/AP

Russian mercenaries fighting in Ukraine, including the Kremlin-backed Wagner Group, have been linked to far-right extremism including an organisation designated by the US as terrorist, analysis reveals.

Although Vladimir Putin says his “special military operation” is aimed at the “denazification” of Ukraine, an investigation has found links between pro-Russian forces and violent rightwing extremism, including those directly affiliated with Wagner.