The Russian mercenary army Wagner wants to recruit new members on a large scale. By mid-May, the group wants to have recruited 30,000 new mercenaries, Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin reports via the Telegram messaging service.
In the past week, Wagner is said to have opened recruitment centers in 42 Russian cities, where an average of 500 to 800 people are recruited per day, according to Prigozhin. The figures have not been independently verified.
The Wagner Group suffered heavy losses in the war in Ukraine, especially in the months-long battle for the town of Bachmoet. In January, the United States released estimates that 50,000 mercenaries were active for Wagner in Ukraine, 40,000 of whom were recruited from Russian prisons. Mercenaries are also being sought in high schools and even on a porn website.
LOOK. Wagner is looking for new fighters with ad on Pornhub
Ukrainian officials claim some 30,000 mercenaries deserted, killed or wounded in the war. These figures have also not been independently verified.
Prigozhin has been running an active public relations campaign for months to highlight the role of the Wagner Group in the Russian offensive, regularly complaining that the military top does not give his mercenary army enough credit. He has also complained about the lack of ammunition he receives from the Russian army.
LOOK. Footage shows Russian Wagner troops appearing to fire on each other in chaotic trench combat
LOOK. These are the Magyar Birds, Wagner’s Ukrainian counterpart
LOOK ALSO. Everything about the war between Russia and Ukraine in pictures
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss a thing of the stars.