Russia's Wagner group denies recruiting Serbs for Ukraine fight

Russia's Wagner paramilitary group has denied it was recruiting Serbs to fight in Ukraine, a day after activists filed criminal complaints against the organisation in Belgrade.

Among those named in the complaints were Russia's ambassador to Serbia, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, and Aleksandar Vulin, head of Serbia's Security and Information Agency.

"I do not recruit Serbs," Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Friday in a statement, saying he had never heard of either Botsan-Kharchenko or Vulin.

Earlier this week, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Russia should halt its efforts to recruit Serbs to fight alongside Wagner forces.

He said Russian websites and social media groups were publishing advertisements in the Serbian language in which the Wagner group called for volunteers.

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'Criminal corporation'

Earlier on Friday, the United States determined the Wagner Group is an international "criminal corporation", accusing the firm of delivering North Korean arms into Russia for use in Ukraine and of recruiting prisoners to fight.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Wagner has about 50,000 fighters in Ukraine, 80 percent of them drawn from prisons.

Washington said it was imposing fresh sanctions on the Kremlin-linked firm.

The firm has been pivotal to Russia's recent gains in the Donbass, and has been involved in conflicts worldwide, including in Libya, the Central African Republic and Mali.

READ MORE: US designates Russia's Wagner Group international 'criminal organisation'