The founder of the private military company Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that the PMC stopped accepting prisoners into its ranks. He replied to Live24, addressing appeals from inmates who reported a month of halted recruitment in correctional facilities and that Prigozhin had not visited the colonies.
“Yes, it is true. Recruitment of prisoners into Wagner has been completely halted. All obligations to those currently serving with us are fulfilled,” stated the head of the PMC.
On January 13, RT reported that more than a hundred prisoners from Wagner had returned from the war zone, with the channel claiming they were pardoned. Eva Merkacheva, a member of the Presidential Human Rights Council, told RIA Novosti that some inmates were pardoned before their release from the colony, and that the decrees on their release were classified as state secrets.
Earlier, on January 5, Prigozhin announced that all convictions of the first group of prisoners who signed contracts with Wagner had been lifted. He noted that former inmates had fulfilled their duties with dignity, adding that society should treat them with respect.
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented that the amnesty process had been carried out in full accordance with Russian law and that the amnesty decrees for prisoners joining PMCs were classified.
Return from the war zone
In October, RBC asked Prigozhin what would happen when prisoners returned from combat. He spoke candidly about the uncertain path ahead, acknowledging that many might never come back and that the strong pull of mission work could be hard to resist for those who had joined. He suggested that if they were not needed at the front, some would travel to confront threats abroad, including terrorists and criminals tied to Russia’s interests.
The businessman expressed confidence that ex-prisoners who joined Wagner would feel a sense of responsibility toward the group and that the group would in turn bear responsibility for them.
Some Wagner members received state recognition for their roles in the conflict in Ukraine. For instance, Vladimir Putin awarded the Medal for Courage to Hayk Gasparyan, the commander of the assault group and a former inmate of a Ryazan colony. The Kremlin explained that Gasparyan demonstrated heroism during a special operation celebrated with a state honor.
Recruitment of prisoners
The recruitment of prisoners from Russian colonies into Wagner became known in mid-2022. In September, a Telegram channel connected to the security services published a video showing a man resembling Prigozhin recruiting prisoners for combat. The clip was reportedly filmed in the yard of a penal colony in Yoshkar-Ola, according to journalist Ksenia Sobchak.
The man in the video told inmates that those who agreed to fight would have no right to escape or surrender. He also noted that alcohol and drugs, as well as looting and sexual coercion, were prohibited.
He added that after six months they could go home upon receiving a pardon. Those who wished to stay with the group would remain, and there would be no option to return to their region. The recording underscored the strict terms of service.
When asked about the prisoner recruitment reports, Prigozhin said that instead of the option to join, some inmates dreamed of helping the motherland and paying back a debt. He also suggested that those who opposed PMCs or the idea of prisoner service could send their children to the front and let them decide for themselves how to respond to the situation.
By the end of December 2022, John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator for the White House National Security Council, stated that Wagner had played a significant role in the battle for Soledar since mid-2022. On January 11, Prigozhin announced the capture of Soledar, asserting that Wagner fighters were the sole force involved in the operation. Two days later, the Defense Ministry confirmed the city’s capture, marking the first official reference to a private military company in an official report.
The Defense Ministry stated that the operation to liberate the city blocks held by Ukrainian forces was carried out by the brave and selfless actions of Wagner volunteers. The exact number of prisoners who took part in the fighting remains unknown.