In October 2022, about 200 prisoners from a penal colony in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk were voluntarily recruited for the war in Ukraine by then-Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin. One in three people served a prison sentence for murder. One in four did not survive their deployment to the front. The majority of them returned home after the pardon, but some of them reoffended. But there is also another side. Some brag about how proud their loved ones are of them and are grateful to have been given a “second chance” by Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin.
Correctional Facility No. 6 stands out as a gloomy, anchored complex of barracks and workshops on the outskirts of Kopeysk, journalists from the American newspaper The New York Times report. People who have committed serious crimes, such as murder, robbery and drug trafficking, are housed here. In October 2022, the infamous Yevgeny Prigozhin is said to have visited there.
Promised money and pardon
He promised the prisoners a generous salary and a pardon after serving six months in the war. According to information, at least 197 men were voluntarily recruited from the colony, which was intended for approximately 1,500 prisoners. Journalists from the New York Times got to the bottom of this and spoke to prisoners and their families.
The average prisoner recruited by the Wagner group is 33 years old and comes from a small town or village. He was convicted of drug trafficking and will serve five more years, it is said. One in three recruits is a murderer. The most common reasons for their volunteerism were patriotism, the desire to finally escape the colony and the urge for action after years of captivity.
Unfavorable prison conditions
35-year-old Alexander Mokin has been in prison for eleven years for drug trafficking. In messages to a friend, he complained that the guards mistreated him and immediately sent him to the punishment cell for even the slightest infraction. He couldn’t even buy basic necessities at the prison store. He therefore really wanted to go to war, even though he would most likely never return, so he wrote it from his chest. Mokin, as a result, joined Prigozhin’s forces and died two months into the war.
“Tired” of the colony
Another convict, who received a twenty-year prison sentence for the murder of two people, is also said to have voluntarily accepted Wagner’s boss’s offer at the time. He was “tired” of the colony: “I was tired of being in prison, I realized I didn’t belong there,” he reported. After his pardon, he returned home. Today, he reportedly works as a welder and studies management.
War effort for a better reputation
According to the NYT, there were also prisoners who had only a few months left to serve and yet went to war. Construction worker Nikolaj reportedly stated that his family would be greatly helped by the compensation that would be paid in the event of his death. For him, dying for his country would be a kind of rehabilitation. “I don’t want to remain a bad person in the eyes of the children living in our village,” Nikolai emphasized.
Use as “cannon fodder”
The prisoners were mostly used as ‘cannon fodder’, as many military experts and eyewitnesses report. By recruiting prisoners, Putin was able to prevent a second wave of mobilization. At the same time, the “appearance of normality” was maintained for the wealthy city residents, at the expense of the convicts, most of whom came from poor backgrounds.
According to the information, one in four recruited prisoners died at the front. The majority of those who survived the operation suffered serious injuries.
When the six-month contract expired in April 2023, about 140 ex-prisoners returned to Chelyabinsk after the war. Many of them told the New York Times that they had now gained respect “after years of shame.”
Many value ‘second chances’
Ex-prisoner Sergei told the newspaper that he returned home in a new uniform and was awarded six medals during the war. His parents now had a very different opinion of him, as from now on everyone in the village would be treated with respect, and he was visibly proud. The pardoned Vitaly states that he has now reconciled with his daughter. She told everyone at school, “Daddy’s at war, Dad’s at war.”
Many of the pardoned prisoners are very grateful to Putin. They don’t care about the deaths of thousands of civilians in Ukraine. “He gave us a second chance,” they praise the president.
Some prisoners were insulted again after being pardoned. According to data from the NYT, nine people have been charged with drunk driving, fraud or drug offenses in Chelyabinsk.
Everyday life is unthinkable without pills and alcohol
Others, however, tried to overcome their trauma and learn to live with their injuries. Yevgeny returned home injured. His daily life looks like this: “I get up and take my pills. Then I put on my prosthesis and compression bandage. Then I have breakfast and take more pills. And then another two hours have passed.” Sergei returned from the front with medals – but he could not sleep, the experience was too bad. He drinks to forget. “The only thing that helps is more alcohol,” he says desperately.
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.
