A Watford man has been charged with being a member of Russia's The Wagner Group.

Piotr Kucharski, of The Glebe, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (July 17) charged with professing to be a member of the banned military group, following an investigation by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU).The Wagner Group is banned by the UK government over fears it acted as a malign proxy military force for Russia.The Wagner Group is banned by the UK government over fears it acted as a malign proxy military force for Russia. (Image: Wikimedia) The 49-year-old is accused of being a member of The Wagner Group between September 15 and October 28, 2023, a Russian private military company that has operated in Ukraine, Syria and multiple African states.

Kucharski pleaded not guilty and was released on conditional bail before the trial at the Central Criminal Court on August 16.

The 49-year-old denied the charge at Westminster Magistrates' Court.The 49-year-old denied the charge at Westminster Magistrates' Court. Police seized his passport and he was banned from contacting the prosecution witnesses.

The UK government added The Wagner Group to its list of proscribed organisations in September 2023 amid allegations it had acted as a "malign proxy military force" for the Russian state.

The group is accused of using “serious violence” against Ukrainian civilians and armed forces to “advance Russia’s political aims”, according to the Home Office guidance.

It is also alleged to have carried out preparatory acts for terrorism and has been implicated by the government in “serious acts of violence” in certain African states.