Chief of Wagner PMC releases first group of criminals who fought in Ukraine, lifting all convictions
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Head of Wagner Private Military Company, has released the first batch of criminals who had been recruited for the war against Ukraine from prisons; the convicts have also had all of their convictions removed.
Source: Kremlin-aligned news outlet RIA Novosti
Details: Russian propagandists have posted a video of Prigozhin talking to criminals. According to him, society should treat them "with respect".
Prigozhin claims that many of those who had been imprisoned in the camps had only a few days left before being released, and they went to the war of aggression because "they just wanted to defend their homeland".
Finally, Prigozhin has given a piece of advice to criminals. "Do not drink too much, do not use drugs, do not rape women," he concluded.
Background:
- On 4 July, 2022, Russian media iStories reported that convicts in the colonies of St. Petersburg had been recruited as "volunteers" to go to the war in Ukraine as part of Wagner PMC.
- On 20 July 2022, the news outlet reported that Wagner PMC was recruiting Russian convicts for service from about 15 prisons throughout Russia.
- Later it was reported that almost all convicts from two Russian colonies, recruited by Wagner PMC for the war in Ukraine, had been killed.
- In September of 2022, Prigozhin, commenting on reports of the recruitment of convicts to participate in the war against Ukraine, suggested that those who disagree with such recruitment send their children to the frontline.
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