The Wagner mercenary group will be declared a terrorist organisation, the UK’s Home Office has announced.

A draft order will be laid in parliament on Wednesday, which will make it illegal to be a member of or support the Russian group in the UK. The group has played a prominent role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine since it began in February 2022.

It has also been active in conflicts in Syria, Central African Republic, Sudan and Libya.

The Home Office said the decision had been taken to proscribe the group under the Terrorism Act 2000 due to “the nature and scale of the organisation’s activities as well as the threat they pose to British nationals abroad”.