The head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigoshin, released the first prisoners he had recruited on Thursday. The Russian news agency showed pictures of him shaking hands with the former prisoners as a farewell. He also gave them something to do with it.
“Don’t drink too much, don’t do drugs and don’t rape women,” Prigozhin said. The former prisoners learned a lot, especially how to kill the enemy. Under no circumstances use “this achievement” in “forbidden area”. “If you want to kill enemies again, come back,” Prigozhin said Thursday.
The group of mercenaries originally consisted of battle-hardened former soldiers of the Russian army. The Wagner group has fought in Libya, Syria, Mali and most recently in Ukraine. After the Russian invasion, Prigozhin also recruited thousands of men in Russian prisons. After their six-month deployment in Ukraine, they must be released.
Group influence is increasing
According to US insiders, Russian President Vladimir Putin is increasingly turning to the Wagner Group because of military problems. Their influence is increasing. However, Wagner is increasingly distancing himself from the Ministry of Defense. The US classifies Prigozhin as an oligarch and has punished him for spreading false information and interfering in US elections.
Putin ordered a ceasefire
Meanwhile, in view of the upcoming Orthodox Christmas on January 7, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a day-and-a-half ceasefire in Ukraine. This should last from Friday 12:00 AM to Saturday 12:00 AM.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had previously called for a ceasefire in Ukraine. In a telephone conversation with him, Putin said he would only talk if Kiev accepted the “new territorial realities”. The authorities should accept Russia’s well-known and repeated demands. In any case, the West would play a destructive role with its arms supplies, information and advice, Putin said.
Source: Krone
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