Ukrainian authorities have initiated criminal proceedings against Davor Savičić, the founder of the Russian mercenary unit “Wolves,” accusing him of direct involvement in serious war crimes committed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Savičić, originally from Banovići in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is accused of playing a leading role in brutal military operations alongside Russian proxy and mercenary formations, including participation in offensives against civilian areas during the early stages of the 2022 invasion.
Investigators say he was not a peripheral fighter but a commanding figure responsible for coordinating units operating in the Kyiv region, where Ukrainian authorities allege civilians were abused during the occupation in February and March 2022.
Before the full-scale invasion even began, Savičić was already embedded in Russia’s hybrid war structures, fighting for the self-proclaimed Donetsk forces and later organizing the “Wolves” battalion, which expanded into a larger armed formation engaged in multiple frontline operations.
Ukrainian security services, working with military intelligence, say they have gathered substantial evidence linking him and his unit to systematic abuses and battlefield crimes. He was formally named a suspect on May 22.
Further reporting has linked Savičić to Russia’s GRU military intelligence structure and to recruitment networks operating through private military channels such as “Redut,” reinforcing concerns about the Kremlin’s reliance on deniable mercenary formations.
Once associated with the Wagner Group, Savičić is now portrayed by investigators as part of a broader ecosystem of Russian-backed irregular warfare units accused of operating with little regard for international law or civilian protection.
