January 25 (SeeNews) - European Union candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania have joined the EU's restrictions on Andrey Troshev, executive director of Russian private military entity Wagner Group, the EU Commission said.
The countries also joined the EU's sanctions against Russian companies Velada, Mercury and Evro Polis, involved in the mining, oil and gas sector in Syria, as well as Andrey Bogatov, head of one of Wagner's attack and reconnaissance groups, the EU Commission said in a statement last week.
Last month, the Commission added the three companies, as well as Troshev and Bogatov, to its list of individuals and legal entities subject to restrictive measures, accusing the group of clandestine operations on behalf of Moscow.
The sanctions include travel bans for individuals and asset freeze for legal entities.
The Wagner Group backed Bashar al-Assad's war efforts in Syria in particular by training and directing Syrian forces and regime-affiliated militias, the EU Commission said.