Recruiting convicts for its army has given Russia a manpower advantage. But it is backfiring in tragic ways when former inmates are pardoned and return home to commit new crimes.
Tag: Mercenaries and Private Military Contractors
Battle for Influence Rages in Heart of Wagner’s Operations in Africa
The death of the mercenary group’s leader has created a window of opportunity in the Central African Republic for Western powers to offer an alternative.
Russia Tries to Lure Wagner Veterans Back Into Ukraine War
A force led by President Vladimir Putin’s former bodyguard is trying to recruit veterans of the paramilitary force, which mutinied against Russian military leaders and saw its leader killed in a plane crash.
Colombia’s Economic Woes Push Fighters to Join Ukraine War
Hundreds of experienced fighters have joined Kyiv’s ranks to improve their financial fortunes, reflecting the recruitment struggles faced by both sides of the conflict.
Putin Suggests New Narrative for Prigozhin Plane Crash: Cocaine and Grenades
The Russian president said grenade fragments were found in the bodies recovered from the crash site after the Wagner mercenary leader’s plane went down in August.
Mali Islamists Kill at Least 49 Civilians and 15 Soldiers
The government declared three days of mourning after the attacks on a passenger ferry and a military camp. At least 49 civilians and 15 soldiers were killed.
Mali Islamists Kill at Least 49 Civilians and 15 Soldiers
The government declared three days of mourning after the attacks on a passenger ferry and a military camp. At least 49 civilians and 15 soldiers were killed.
Cuba Uncovers a Russian Human Trafficking Ring For the War in Ukraine
The Cuban government said it had begun criminal proceedings against a “trafficking network” that had been recruiting its citizens in both Russia and Cuba for Russia’s armed forces.
Sergei Surovikin, Russian General Detained After Wagner Mutiny, Is Released
Gen. Sergei Surovikin, who was seen as an ally of the mercenary leader Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, has re-emerged in public.
Rumors and Misdirection Keep Crowds Away From Prigozhin Burial
The burial of the Wagner mercenary group boss, two months after his mutiny, was shrouded in misinformation, preventing a public display of support the Kremlin did not want to see.