US Treasury Sanctions Head of Russia's Wagner Group for Mali Operations

The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned Ivan Aleksandrovich Maslov, the head of Russian Private Military Company 'Wagner' paramilitary units and its principal administrator based in Mali, for acting on behalf of the Wagner Group. The Wagner Group has been involved in Kremlin-backed combat operations around the world and is a key player in support of Putin's war on Ukraine. The group has also meddled in and destabilized countries in Africa, committing widespread human rights abuses and appropriating natural resources. The US opposes efforts by any country to assist Russia through the Wagner Group.