According to some accounts, the Wagner organization, a private army firm frequently referred to as President Vladimir Putin’s private army is enlisting Russian convicts with contagious diseases including HIV and Hepatitis C for the conflict in Ukraine.
According to UK intelligence officials, more than 100 prisoners have been deployed with colored bracelets designating their condition. The Wagner group is reportedly known as Putin’s personal army.
According to the article, Putin’s personal militia has taken on new responsibilities since the Russia-Ukraine conflict started. The gang has previously employed trained Russian soldiers.
“The role of Wagner Group has evolved significantly since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In previous conflicts, it maintained relatively high recruitment standards, with many of its operators having previously served as professional Russian soldiers.”
It added that the recruitment of prisoners with serious medical issues, “highlights an approach which now prioritizes numbers over experience or quality.”
The Wagner group, founded in 2014 by intelligence officer Dmitry Utkin, is known for hiring lethal mercenaries who carry out missions using information obtained from the Kremlin’s highest levels. Payment is only made once a mission is successfully completed.
More than eight months have passed since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war. Huge numbers of soldiers have been lost on both sides. Putin was compelled to call back his troops and start a partial mobilization of forces in September after Ukraine made significant gains in the southern region of the country.
However, Russia had to cease its hiring frenzy well before achieving its objectives due to the disjointed nature of the mobilization process. According to western intelligence estimates, the Kremlin used Iranian drones in October to target important Ukrainian cities and was able to regain some of the upper hand. (bricks4kidz.com)