Russian citizens sentenced for Wagner Group recruitment in Poland
An appeal court in Krakow has upheld an imprisonment sentence issued a year ago for two Russian citizens over recruitment to the so-called Wagner Group, a private military company which was involved in the Russian war on Ukraine.
In February 2025, a Krakow court sentenced Andrei G. and Alexei T. (names withheld under Polish privacy laws) to five and a half years in prison each for recruiting for military service and propaganda activities through spreading stickers enabling contact with recruiters for the Wagner Group, as well as for conducting espionage on behalf of Russian intelligence. Both men are also to pay a fine of PLN 30,000 (EUR 7,100) each.
Both the prosecutor and defence appealed against the ruling. The prosecution demanded a higher prison sentence, of eight years, arguing it would provide a stronger warning to others. The defence claimed that conscious involvement in espionage could not be proved and spreading stickers was not meant to cause disinformation.
During the investigation, the defendants did not confess to the charges of recruitment for foreign military organisations or espionage, but did not deny posting the stickers. (PAP)
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