H.R. 7415, the Holding Accountable Russian Mercenaries Act (HARM Act 2.0)

Bottom Line Up Front

H.R. 7415, the Holding Accountable Russian Mercenaries Act (HARM Act 2.0), requires the designation of Wagner Group successor entities—including Africa Corps, Redut PMC, and Patriot PMC—as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The bill mandates comprehensive reporting on these Russian paramilitary organizations’ global activities, requires interagency coordination to identify and sanction successor entities, and establishes annual oversight of Russian mercenary operations, particularly in Venezuela and the Western Hemisphere where they pose direct threats to regional stability and U.S. national security.

Click here to read the full legislative text and view the list of cosponsors.

Why It Matters

• Following Wagner Group leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin’s death in August 2023, Russian paramilitary forces have been reorganized under the Ministry of Defense into successor entities including Africa Corps, Redut PMC, and Patriot PMC. This reorganization represents a deliberate effort by Moscow to evade accountability while continuing destabilizing mercenary operations, human rights abuses, and support for authoritarian regimes across Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.
• Wagner successor entities continue to engage in terrorist activity and have committed credible atrocities and human rights violations in 2024 and 2025. Integration into Ministry of Defense structures does not diminish their threat to international peace, human rights, or U.S. national security interests. These rebranded organizations must face the same consequences as their predecessor through Foreign Terrorist Organization designation.
• Russia’s expanding paramilitary presence in Venezuela and throughout the Western Hemisphere poses a direct threat to regional stability and U.S. national security. The HARM Act 2.0 specifically requires reporting on Russian paramilitary deployment, activities, and objectives in the region, ensuring Congress has the intelligence necessary to address this growing threat in America’s own hemisphere.
• The bill establishes robust accountability mechanisms including mandatory Secretary of State reports identifying all Wagner successor entities and their leadership, Comptroller General evaluation for accuracy and completeness, interagency coordination to apply sanctions, and annual five-year reporting on global Wagner activities. These provisions ensure periodic review and updates to capture newly identified successor entities and prevent Russian efforts to evade designation through continued rebranding.

Congressional Press Releases

Read statements from members of Congress who are supporting this legislation:

• → Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC)