Skip to main content

UK Ministry of Defense: Wagner Group recruiting prisoners with HIV, Hepatitis C

The Ministry of Defense of the UK reported in its daily intelligence update that Wagner Group founder Evgeny Prigozhin admitted that his private military company has changed its standards and is now recruiting prisoners infected with serious diseases, including HIV and Hepatitis C.

On October 27, Prigozhin said that he saw “nothing immoral if soldiers who have Hepatitis C or HIV killing other soldiers.”

The UK Ministry of Defense says this indicates that the Wagner Group is now prioritizing “numbers over experience or quality.” It also believes that the new recruits may be used to construct a defensive “Wagner line” in eastern Ukraine.

Follow Meduza in English on Twitter to stay up to date.

Meduza survived 2024 thanks to its readers!

Let’s stick together for 2025.

The world is at a crossroads today, and quality journalism will help shape the decades to come. Real stories must be told at any cost. Please support Meduza by signing up for a recurring donation.

Any amount