Russia turns to the convicts after them prisoners who have already been recruited into the Russian mercenary forces. The army recruits them to fight in the Ukraineaccording to civil rights activists and media reports.
“Since the end of September, the Ministry of Defense has begun recruiting convicts» pointed out the independent investigative news portal Vazhnye Istorii (Important Stories).
The Russian website, which is critical of the Kremlin, reported on military visits to criminal prisons in the Ryazan region near Moscow and Stavropol in the North Caucasus.
Civil rights activists from the Gulagu.net organization previously reported recruitment attempts in the Nizhny Novgorod region.
The mercenary company Wagner, which is financed by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a confidant of President Vladimir Putin, was already recruiting prisoners for use in Ukraine since the summer.
A video posted on social networking sites reportedly shows Prigozhin himself appearing in front of prisoners and promising them release if they pledge to serve six months as mercenaries in Ukraine, according to the Athens News Agency.
According to Vazhnye Istorii, the generals of the regular army also promise the prisoners that they will be released after the operation.
The ex-prisoners will reportedly be used in a special unit called “Storm”. The defense ministry is said to be recruiting specifically from among prisoners who have previously served in the security services and who may have combat experience.
Source: News Beast
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