There are many HIV-positive ex-convicts in the notorious Wagner mercenary group. In Ukrainian captivity, they said they were recruited with a promise to receive AIDS drugs in exchange for signing the contract. They receive no treatment in the Russian prison.
Mercenaries recruited into the prison by Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin said their AIDS drugs had been promised for frontline use, the New York Times reports. The American newspaper spoke to HIV-positive fighters who ended up in Ukrainian prisoners of war.
Many prisoners have HIV, hepatitis C or tuberculosis
HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis (TB) are common in Russian penal colonies. The founder of the aid organization for prisoners and their families “Russia behind bars” Olga Romanova stated that about ten percent of Russian prisoners are infected with HIV. About a third of all prisoners in Russia are said to be carriers of at least one of the infectious diseases listed above.
20 percent are HIV positive
The Ukrainian army found white or red rubber armbands on many captured Russian fighters. They serve as an indication that the person in question is suffering from one of the diseases. Wagner mercenaries also wore this marking during their deployment at the front, in order to act correctly in the event of an injury. About 20 percent of Russian soldiers recruited from prisons are HIV positive, according to Ukrainian intelligence.
Slow or quick death?
Timur, 37, was sentenced to ten years in prison for drug trafficking. The doctors in the penal colony only gave him medicines that did not work against the virus. Because the man assumed that he would not survive ten years behind bars without adequate treatment, he signed a six-month contract with the Wagner mercenaries in December 2022. In return, he received effective preparations and was pardoned after the time limit expired.
“I knew I was in for a quick or a slow death. I chose the quick one,” admitted Timur. He had no military experience and was trained for two weeks before being deployed to the front. He received a Kalashnikov assault rifle , 120 ammunition, a bulletproof vest and a helmet for combat operations. The commanders threatened him many times: “If you try to leave the battlefield, we will shoot you!” According to the 37-year-old, many soldiers died on the first day, he himself ended up in captivity.
chance of new life
Ruslan served one year of his 11-year prison sentence for drug trafficking and joined the Wagner group in December last year. The medicines he received in the penal colony did not suppress the virus in him either. He was captured during his deployment in the disputed Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. He welcomes the policy of Prigozhin’s private army. Since he would certainly have died of AIDS in prison, he was convinced.
“With a long prison sentence you certainly have a chance at a new life,” he concluded.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
