The European Union (EU) will impose sanctions on Russian private military contractor Wagner Group on Monday, as well as on three entities and seven or eight individuals after France pressed for punitive measures citing human rights abuses, Reuters reports citing a senior EU official.

According to the report, over a dozen people with ties to the Wagner Group have previously told Reuters it has carried out clandestine combat missions on the Kremlin's behalf in Ukraine, Libya and Syria.

"Wagner is active in Syria, Libya, in Ukraine and the individual (sanctions) are related to gross violations of human rights in different countries," the EU senior official said.

Moscow has repeatedly told the EU that sanctioning its citizens was akin to meddling in Russia's domestic affairs and would face retaliation.