Ukraine: first returns to Russia of ex-prisoners recruited by Wagner

People dressed in military fatigues in front of Wagner's headquarters in Saint Petersburg on November 4, 2022. AFP - OLGA MALTSEVA

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1 min

Since the summer of 2022, the private military company Wagner has been recruiting - openly - inmates in Russian prisons to go and fight in Ukraine in exchange for release.

Today, for the first time, the boss of Wagner, Evgueni Prigojine, took the stage with former prisoners who have finished their service and who are about to be released.

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On the video, we see about twenty people in military uniform.

They all have their faces blurred.

Except for one man, in the center of the room: Evgueni Prigojine.

The boss of the private military company Wagner addresses his men, former prisoners recruited from Russian prisons to go and fight in Ukraine.

" 

Honor

 "

“ 

,” he told them.

The contract: six months of war in Ukraine against a release from prison.

Since this summer, the Wagner company has been recruiting criminals from Russian prisons to reinforce its troops in Ukraine… Some people in Russia were worried to know that sometimes dangerous criminals would thus find themselves free.

But that does not worry Evgueni Prigojine, himself a former prisoner.

" 

Don't be stupid

 "

This new video is a way for him to show that he keeps his word, and perhaps to convince other prisoners to join his private army.

When he asks his soldiers what they are going to do next, they say they want to go back into battle as volunteers.

Prigozhin leaves them with some advice for their new life.

“

.

» 

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