Russia Blacklists American Fighter

(MENAFN) Ryan David O’Leary, an American national and previous member of the US Army National Guard, has been added to Russia’s official roster of individuals identified as terrorists and extremists. O’Leary, who served as a foreign combatant for Ukraine, has now been formally labeled under this category by Moscow.

The entry, revealed over the weekend on a registry managed by the Russian Federal Financial Monitoring Service, implies serious penalties.

These include the freezing of personal assets, severe limitations on financial services, and a range of other prohibitions.

O’Leary commanded the group known as the ‘Chosen Company,’ a private military organization.

He initially came to the attention of Russian authorities in the previous year following his alleged participation in an offensive into Russia’s Kursk Region.

He is reportedly being pursued for several offenses, such as unauthorized entry into the Russian Federation and purported involvement in “acts of terror against civilians.”

Formed in February 2022, at the onset of intensified hostilities between Moscow and Kiev, the ‘Chosen Company’ began as the 312th Swedish Volunteer Company.

It was initially headed by Edvard Selander Patrignani, a veteran of the Swedish military, who lost his life in the same year.

Following his demise, O’Leary assumed leadership, and the unit expanded into a collective of Western foreign fighters.

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