The practice of recruiting Russian prisoners to fight in Ukraine has resulted in their numbers in jails dropping by at least 150,000 since the start of the war, according to a report published by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The practice was initiated by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian mercenary leader who headed the Wagner Group private military company and was a close confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin until launching a rebellion in June 2023. Prigozhin died in a plane crash in August 2023.
The British ministry recalled in a daily intelligence update that exactly one year ago, on June 24, 2023, Prigozhin led more than 8,000 Wagner Group mercenaries in a “march for justice” against Russia’s top military command, accusing it of corruption and dereliction of duty.
Since then, Russian authorities have arrested several high-ranking military commanders on corruption charges. Sergei Shoigu, who was held in particular contempt by Prigozhin, was replaced as the Russian defense minister by Putin in May.
The report adds that although Prigozhin died, the Wagner Group survived, led by his son Pavel Prigozhin and commanded by Anton “Lotos” Yelizarov. The mercenary group was withdrawn from the frontlines in Ukraine in May 2023, and replaced by Chechen troops and the Russian Volunteer Corps.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Africa Corps, which answers to the defense ministry in Moscow, replaced Wagner units in Syria and Libya in late 2023 and early 2024 respectively, the report states. It adds that the Wagner Group, however, remains independently deployed in Belarus, Mali, and the Central African Republic.
“Prigozhin initiated the practice of recruiting prisoners to fight in Ukraine. From July 2022 to February 2023, when the Russian Defense Ministry took over the practice, the Wagner Group recruited more than 48,000 prisoners, more than 17,000 of whom later died in combat,” says the report published on Monday.
“Since February 2022, the population in Russian prisons had dropped by at least 150,000. Most of these prisoners were likely released in exchange for permission to fight in Ukraine.”
The British ministry recalled in a daily intelligence update that exactly one year ago, on June 24, 2023, Prigozhin led more than 8,000 Wagner Group mercenaries in a “march for justice” against Russia’s top military command, accusing it of corruption and dereliction of duty.
Since then, Russian authorities have arrested several high-ranking military commanders on corruption charges. Sergei Shoigu, who was held in particular contempt by Prigozhin, was replaced as the Russian defense minister by Putin in May.
The report adds that although Prigozhin died, the Wagner Group survived, led by his son Pavel Prigozhin and commanded by Anton “Lotos” Yelizarov. The mercenary group was withdrawn from the frontlines in Ukraine in May 2023, and replaced by Chechen troops and the Russian Volunteer Corps.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Africa Corps, which answers to the defense ministry in Moscow, replaced Wagner units in Syria and Libya in late 2023 and early 2024 respectively, the report states. It adds that the Wagner Group, however, remains independently deployed in Belarus, Mali, and the Central African Republic.
“Prigozhin initiated the practice of recruiting prisoners to fight in Ukraine. From July 2022 to February 2023, when the Russian Defense Ministry took over the practice, the Wagner Group recruited more than 48,000 prisoners, more than 17,000 of whom later died in combat,” says the report published on Monday.
“Since February 2022, the population in Russian prisons had dropped by at least 150,000. Most of these prisoners were likely released in exchange for permission to fight in Ukraine.”
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 24 June 2024.
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) June 24, 2024
Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/rdsFLqcOYi #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/HpAAGY69My
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