Wagner-Truppe verliert viele Männer, aber nicht im Kampf
Auf einen Schlag sind Tausende Söldner weg
Wagner troop loses many men, but not in battle
In one fell swoop, thousands of mercenaries are gone
Last autumn, the mercenary Wagner Troop recruited many fighters in Russian prisons. The deal: six months of service in Ukraine for freedom. Now many of them are returning home.
The Wagner group is likely to lose a large number of its fighters soon. The reason for this is that many of them are coming to the end of their six-month contract. According to a US estimate in January, there are about 50,000 Wagner mercenaries in Ukraine, including about 40,000 convicted criminals. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin (61) launched a major recruitment drive in Russian prisons last year. This reached its peak in the autumn. In addition to a salary of 1,300 US dollars per month, it was agreed with the prisoners that they could buy their freedom for six months of combat duty.
Putin decree makes it possible
Many of the prisoners will soon be able to return home as free men. There are increasing indications that Russia is actually keeping its promise of freedom.
More Information
The British Ministry of Defence also reports on the facts of the case, citing intelligence. The certificates issued to the detainees are legitimised by a decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin (70). Thousands of Russian detainees who fought for the Wagner mercenary group in the Ukraine war are expected to be pardoned and released in the coming weeks, according to the daily Ukraine briefing on Tuesday.
No more recruitments in prisons
It is unclear how many of the fighters recruited in prisons are still alive. British intelligence estimates that about half of the recruited prisoners were killed or wounded. Some of the pardoned prisoners also announced their intention to return to the front for Wagner.
Meanwhile, Moscow no longer allows the Wagner chief to recruit in prisons. The British Ministry of Defence therefore writes that the "exodus of convict forces" would aggravate the already very tense situation in the mercenary force.
What is happening in Bachmut now?
Wagner plays a central role in the town of Bachmut in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, which has been contested for months. Is the mercenary force coming under pressure at the strategically important front point? Apparently, Wagner is having difficulties recruiting. Prigozhin recently announced that 58 recruitment centres had been opened in 42 Russian cities. At the same time, he keeps asking Moscow for support.
Only on Monday, Prigozhin published a letter to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu (67) asking for reinforcements. According to his information, the Ukrainian armed forces were planning a large-scale offensive at the end of March, beginning of April. The aim, he said, was to cut off the Wagner units from the Russian forces. Shoigu should urgently take the necessary steps to prevent this. At present, according to him, Prigozhin's mercenaries hold about 70 per cent of Bachmut.
