https://www.dailymail.co, By RORY TINGLE

The 400-strong squad of bloodthirsty mercenaries flown in from Africa with orders to kill Volodymyr Zelensky are part of a notorious private militia linked to a string of rapes, robberies, murders, and alleged war crimes.

The Wagner Group - which is believed to have a hit list of 23 key figures including the Klitschko brothers - is considered by military experts to be at the beck and call of Vladimir Putin, although the Kremlin has repeatedly denied this.

The force has already been heavily involved in supplying weapons, experienced special operations personnel, and military training to pro-Russian militias in eastern Ukraine, according to military sources.

Some of its operatives have been embedded on the Ukrainian border after training at a base run by the GRU - the Kremlin's military intelligence unit - near the southern Russian city of Krasnodar, the sources - speaking to Reuters - said. 

Sending the Wagner Group into Ukraine would fit in with its use by the Russian state elsewhere in the world. It has previously been deployed to Africa, where it has carried out black ops operations that the Kremlin wants done while avoiding direct responsibility. 

The army-for-hire, allegedly run by oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin - a close ally of the Russian president who is often dubbed 'Putin's chef' - was flown in five weeks ago and is being offered a huge sum for the mission, according to The Times.

The highly trained operatives are said to be waiting for the green light from the Kremlin to pounce, with their hit list also including Ukraine's prime minister, the entire cabinet, mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko and his brother Wladimir - both boxing champions who have become iconic figures on the front lines of the capital.

However, their plans were rumbled after they reached the upper echelons of the Ukrainian government on Saturday morning. 

It prompted Kyiv to declare a 36-hour 'hard' curfew, ordering everyone indoors so that soldiers could sweep the streets for Russian saboteurs.