Trigger warning: This column includes discussions of physical and sexual violence.

As the Russian invaders retreated eastward following their failure to wrest Kyiv from Ukraine, a shocking slew of war crimes they committed during their advance has come to light. Some of these crimes include the indiscriminate killing of civilians, sexual assault and torture.

It should certainly be a priority for Ukraine and its allies to track down those responsible and serve justice. Naturally, then, we must ask: Who would commit these evils? 

Look no further than the Wagner Group, the cruelest, coldest private military contractor a dictator could hire.

The Wagner Group first saw action during the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014. They have also offered their services to Ukrainian separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk as well as factions in war-torn nations like Syria, Libya, Mozambique, Sudan, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Mali. 

A common thread appears in all their work — where Wagner goes, evil follows.

To name a few of their crimes: in Syria, they crushed, mutilated, beheaded and scorched the remains of a Syrian army deserter; in Libya, they placed landmines in civilian areas and in CAR, they murdered three journalists, killed at least fifty other non-combatants and raped and robbed countless others. However, this list only scratches the surface of their documented horrors, not to mention the probable multitude of atrocities they have kept under the radar.

Regardless of any unknown acts, the group is a major threat to the safety and stability of Ukraine. They have had nearly a decade to perfect their terroristic tactics, making them some of the most experienced and savage fighters presently in Ukraine. To weather this storm, eliminating Wagner’s offensive capabilities must be a priority.

Journalists have linked Wagner’s founder, leader and namesake, Dmitry “Wagner” Utkin, a veteran of the Russian military intelligence service, to an oligarch in Vladimir Putin’s inner circle. Making matters worse, Utkin evidently holds fascist sympathies given his Waffen SS tattoos, his “Wagner” callsign and the Nazi-associated nordic runes emblazoned on his mercenaries’ equipment and uniforms. 

Despite this, Putin, who accused Ukraine of starting a Russian genocide as a casus belli for war, honored the neo-Nazi Utkin at the Kremlin in 2016.

Hypocrisy aside, bad actors like Utkin only perpetuate suffering when left to their devices — removing him from the conflict by any means should not be ruled out as it would ultimately have a net positive impact both in Ukraine and the entire world. 

As it is, though, Putin has used the Wagner Group for clandestine black operations overseas. Doing so provides Russia with plausible deniability should anyone catch their operators. Having acquired Wagner’s services for their invasion, it is only a matter of time before we learn of Wagner’s probable role in the sadism visited upon Ukraine.

As of yet, Utkin’s men have not been tied to the recent war crimes in Ukraine; nevertheless, with Wagner having deployed one thousand mercenaries to Ukraine in the days after February 24, it would come as no surprise to learn they are behind the unearthed atrocities. 

But even if Wagner is not responsible, Ukraine should not wait to move against them since it is only a matter of time before they sweep Ukraine with their barbarism. 

Unfortunately for the victims and their families, friends and fellow Ukrainians, justice will remain on hold for quite some time. For now, we can only hope for the end of the war to come soon to prevent the further battery and suffering of the Ukrainian people.

Jude is a senior in LAS.

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