WARSAW

A Polish court has upheld a 5 1/2-year prison sentence for two Russian nationals convicted of recruiting for the Wagner Group in Poland, confirming an earlier ruling by a lower court. The decision is final.

The court in Krakow late Monday rejected appeals by the defendants, identified as Andrei G. and Alexei T., who were sentenced last year by the Krakow District Court. The men were found guilty of recruiting on behalf of the Wagner Group and of carrying out activities for Russian intelligence services.

In addition to their prison sentences, the defendants were ordered to pay 30,000 Polish zloty ($8,465) apiece to Poland’s Victims’ Assistance Fund and Post-Penitentiary Assistance Fund.

According to prosecutors, the defendants distributed leaflets and stickers in Poland containing recruitment messages for the Wagner Group, including QR codes directing potential recruits to websites listing specific roles within the organization. The court ruled that the materials served both recruitment and propaganda purposes.

The Wagner Group, a Russian private military organization, has been linked to Russia’s military operations in Ukraine as well as activities in Africa and the Middle East. It has been designated a criminal or terrorist organization in several countries.

The appellate court agreed with the lower court’s assessment that the defendants’ actions amounted to recruitment rather than just canvassing and concluded they were acting in furtherance of Russian intelligence objectives. In its oral justification, the court cited Russian military doctrine indicating the use of non-military means to destabilize states viewed as adversaries, describing the defendants’ actions as consistent with hybrid warfare.

The court dismissed defense arguments that the Wagner Group no longer existed at the time of the offences in mid-2023, saying that it continued to operate following the failed mutiny led by its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, with elements relocating to Belarus.