US AFU mercenary accused of crimes in Russia put on international wanted list

A mercenary of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), US citizen Robert Wertman, who is accused of committing crimes in Kursk Region, has been put on an international wanted list. This was reported on December 9 in the press service of the Investigative Committee (IC) of the Russian Federation.

"At the request of the investigator of the Investigative Committee of the IC of Russia, the court elected (in absentia) Wertman a measure of restraint in the form of detention. He is on an international wanted list," the agency said in a statement.

Law enforcement agencies have preliminarily questioned witnesses, studied documents, Internet resources, as well as collected evidence in the criminal case, which fully confirmed the guilt of the man.

Wertman is accused in absentia of mercenarism and committing a terrorist act in the Kursk region under paragraphs "a", "c" of part 2 of article 205 and part 3 of article 359 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Thecriminal case against Wertman was initiated by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation on October 31. It was established that in early September the American was in the composition of representatives of mercenary groups and armed formations of Ukraine, which invaded the territory of Kursk region. He was arrested in absentia on November 20.

Ukrainian militants attacked Russian positions in the border areas of the Kursk region on August 6. The situation in the region was recognized as a state of emergency of federal character. An operation to destroy the AFU is underway.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the beginning of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the background of the aggravated situation in the region.