Investigative journalists used facial recognition technology to identify the man on the left as Stanislav D

A man who took part in the torture and beheading of a prisoner in Syria has been identified as a Russian mercenary employed by the Wagner Group, a Kremlin-linked private military contractor.

Footage depicting four Russian-speaking men mutilating and then setting fire to their victim was first uploaded to social media in 2017. A second video was posted this month on a closed account for Wagner members on VKontakte, a Russian social media network, but was quickly discovered by Russian investigative journalists.

The Wagner Group is said to be controlled by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a businessman known as “Putin’s chef” because his companies often supply catering services to the Kremlin. Wagner fighters are said to have seen action in Syria, Ukraine and across Africa.