Out of the 50,000 conscripts recruited by the Wagner Group among the convicts kept in Russian prisons, 40,000 are either dead or missing, and only 10,000 are still fighting in Ukraine, says Olga Romanova, the head of Russia Behind Bars, a charity advocating prisoners’ rights.
In a video published by the YouTube channel My Russian Rights, Romanova says:
Our data shows that, as of late December, 42,000–43,000 inmates had been recruited. By now, this is probably upwards of 50,000. Out of that number, 10,000 are now fighting at the front, because the rest have either been killed or wounded, or went AWOL, or deserted, or surrendered.
Romanova claims that desertion has been a massive problem for the Wagner Group since last fall. Some of the deserters return to Russia, fully armed with weapons from the frontline. Last December, for example, an armed Wagner deserter opened fire on local police officers in Rostov.
Romanova thinks that the Wagner Group founder Evgeny Prigozhin doesn’t keep tabs on soldiers who go MIA for different reasons, writing them off indiscriminately as dead. This may be why he’s been caught sending empty zinc caskets to the families of the “war dead” back in Russia.
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. The real stories must be told at any cost. Please support Meduza by signing up for a recurring donation.