Findings and statement of policy

(a) Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) Following the death of Wagner Group leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin in August 2023, the organization’s personnel, operational infrastructure, and activities have been absorbed into the Russian Ministry of Defense and reorganized under various successor entities, including the Africa Corps, Redut PMC, and Patriot PMC. (2) These successor entities continue to conduct operations consistent with the Wagner Group’s historical activities, including mercenary operations, human rights abuses, resource extraction facilitation, and support for authoritarian regimes in Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. (3) The integration of Wagner-derived forces into Ministry of Defense structures does not diminish their threat to international peace and security, human rights, or United States national security interests. (4) The Wagner Group and its successor entities constitute a terrorist group that engages in terrorism (as defined in section 140(d) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1988 and 1989 (22 U.S.C. 2656f(d))). (5) The Wagner Group and its successor entities have committed, or are credibly accused of committing, terrorist activity (as defined in section 212(a)(3)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(B))) and ongoing atrocities and human rights violations conducted by successor entities operating under the Africa Corps, Redut PMC, Patriot PMC, and other Ministry of Defense-affiliated formations in Africa, the Middle East, and other regions in 2024 and 2025. (b) Statement of policy It shall be the policy of the United States to designate as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorists the successor and associated entities to the Wagner Group.