Convicts recruited by the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary organization, have reportedly continued to engage in criminal activities upon their return to Russia following their deployment to fight in Ukraine. The Wagner Group, formerly led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, has been accused of relying heavily on prisoners, including those convicted of serious crimes such as murder and rape, to bolster its ranks. In exchange for six months of combat service in Ukraine, these prisoners were offered reduced sentences and financial incentives. According to Russian human rights activist Vladimir Osechkin, the Wagner Group deployed as many as 10,000 prisoners to Ukraine as of December 2022. Since their return, numerous former Wagner mercenaries have been implicated in criminal offenses, including murder and kidnapping. A Russian court in the city of Kirov recently sentenced a former Wagner Group fighter to 22 years in prison for raping and killing an elderly woman. The convict was previously serving a 14-year prison term for a prior murder when he was recruited by the paramilitary group. Another pardoned Wagner recruit was detained on suspicion of murdering a woman in St. Petersburg. He had been serving a 12-year sentence for murder since 2018 when he joined the Wagner Group. These incidents highlight the ongoing challenges posed by the recruitment of convicts for military service and the potential for further criminal activity upon their reintegration into society. The Kremlin continues to recruit inmates from prisons across Russia to fight in Ukraine, despite these concerns.
Convicts Recruited to Fight in Ukraine Continue to Commit Crimes Upon Return to Russia
