The US Treasury Department will designate Russian mercenary organization Wagner Group as a "

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The Treasury Department will also impose new sanctions on the group and its global allies next week, a White House official said..

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Along with the new sanctions, the US released newly declassified photos of Russian railcars traveling from Russia to North Korea and back in November in what the US believes was a shipment of infantry and missiles for use by the Wagner group in Ukraine.

While the U.S. does not yet believe the equipment has changed the dynamics of hostilities, it expects new shipments of weapons systems from North Korea to Russia, Kirby said.. Russia is also receiving equipment, including drones, from Iran as its military stocks have dwindled since the war..

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Tensions between the Russian Defense Ministry and Wagner are rising, US estimates, as Russian President Vladimir Putin increasingly relies on Wagner for operations in Ukraine.

According to Kirby, about 50,000 Wagner fighters are currently deployed in Ukraine, including 10,000 contract soldiers and 40,000 convicts..

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Recall that the founder of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is becoming bolder in his attacks on the Ministry of Defense of Russia and even the Kremlin. In particular, he criticized Defense Ministry guidelines for Russian troops in Ukraine that restrict the use of certain electronic devices in the war zone and impose stricter guidelines on appearance standards, including mandatory shaving..