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A Russian mercenary group is rapidly finding soldiers to fight in Ukraine by recruiting in penal colonies in far-flung regions of Russia as the Kremlin seeks to replenish the ranks in its war effort.
Olga Romanova, head of prisoner advocacy group Russia Behind Bars, told Russian news outlet Agentstvo ("Agency") that the Wagner Group, a mercenary outfit close to the Kremlin, had recruited 5,000 prisoners in a week. The outlet, which published her remarks on Telegram Friday, reported Romanova said there are now more than 20,000 Russian prisoners sent to fight in Ukraine after Moscow has struggled to find manpower to sustain its invasion, which is nearing the eight-month mark.
Romanova told Agentstvo that just a week ago, a total of 15,000 Russian prisoners had been recruited to fight. She said the sudden increase is due to the Wagner Group recruiting prisoners in penal colonies east of the Ural Mountains, which divides Russia's European and Asian regions.
Previously, the Wagner Group only sent representatives to the European part of Russia for recruits, she said. In addition to recruiting in more remote regions, the group has also begun looking for soldiers among citizens of the former Soviet Union, including Belarus and Tajikistan, Romanova said.
The Pentagon in August estimated that 80,000 Russian troops have been injured or killed in Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of the neighboring country in February.
After seeing a series of defeats in a Ukrainian counteroffensive, Putin ordered a partial mobilization of 300,000 reservists. Following the mobilization, reports have emerged of troops being sent to the front lines with virtually no training or surrendering.
Russian prisoners have previously been offered amnesty and a payment of 200,000 rubles ($3,446) if they signed up with the Wagner Group for six months of "voluntary" service in Ukraine's Donbas region, investigative outlet Important Stories reported in July.
The Wagner Group is an elite private military unit that's been linked to Russian military operations in Syria, Libya and Mali. Early in the invasion of Ukraine, Russia used the group to boost its troops presence in Ukraine with 1,000 mercenaries, the U.K. Ministry of Defense reported in March.
As the conflict has dragged on, the Wagner Group has reportedly sought to take on more influence in Russia's military. The Institute for the Study of War, a U.S.-based think tank, published research this month that the Wagner Group had set up a private Telegram channel, indicating that Yevgeny Prigozhin, a financier of the group, was seeking more leverage.
Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment.
About the writer
Jake Thomas is a Newsweek night reporter based in Portland, Oregon. His focus is U.S. national politics, crime and public ... Read more