Three mercenaries from Chisinau, Balti and Ialoveni, who allegedly fought in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, were arrested as part of an operation conducted jointly with the Ukrainian authorities and Europol. They are aged 32 and 33. The man who is from Ialoveni in 2015 was sentenced to three years in prison in Moldova after he admitted that he fought as a mercenary "in Luhansk and Donetsk, to the detriment of Ukraine's sovereignty", according to the sentence of the Court if Chisinau.

According to the PCCOCS, the suspects were arrested within an international operation called "Avengers", carried out under the aegis of Europol and with the support of "Fulger" employees. More than 50 searches were conducted at the homes of other supposed mercenaries aged between 25 and 45 in different districts of Moldova, including people from the Transnistrian region. The individuals were allegedly enrolled in the Wagner group, the "Somalia" battalion and in other formations of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic. Some of them received awards and medals during illegal mercenary activities that are investigated by the law enforcement agencies.

Following the arrest of the three suspected mercenaries, the Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime and Special Cases charged them so that they could be placed in remand detention.

The penalty for participation as mercenaries in armed conflicts, military actions or violent acts, directed against the constitutional order or territorial integrity of the state, is 10 years in prison.

The criminal investigation continues with regard to the persons targeted by searches who are not in Moldova. Meanwhile, those concerned benefit from the presumption of innocence.