Captured fighters of “PMC Wagner” told CNN about the losses and murders

Two Russians captured in Ukraine and claiming to be former prisoners recruited by “Wagner’s PMC” told the American television company CNN about the huge losses of Russian troops in the course of hostilities and the executions of “Wagner” mercenaries by their own commanders.

CNN is not releasing the names of those the journalists spoke with out of concern for their safety. It is emphasized that the conversation took place in the presence of the Ukrainian military.

It is confirmed that the Russians were captured at the end of last year. Both previously served long prison terms, one of them – 20 years in prison for murder.

The captives described the attack on Belogorovka in the Luhansk region. According to them, of the 90 people who were in their detachment, 60 were killed under artillery fire. According to the fighters of PMC Wagner, large losses are not an obstacle to continuing the offensive: “If one of the groups does not achieve success, the next one goes forward. If and it fails, they send a third forward.” It is said that those who retreated and did not complete the task were shot on the spot. One of CNN’s interlocutors told about the case when a fighter who refused to attack was shot; the ego was forced to dig its own grave. At the same time, as the prisoners claim, the evacuation of the wounded from the battlefield is not ensured, they must get there on their own.

Prisoners stated that the recruitment in their colony was carried out personally by the founder of “PMC Wagner” Yevgeny Prigozhin, promising pardon and removal of criminal record after 6 months of fighting, as well as monetary compensation and repayment of loans.

Also, according to CNN interlocutors, they were told that they would fight with mercenaries from Western countries, in particular Poland and Germany, because the Ukrainian army was allegedly fleeing.

Prigozhin or other PMC representatives have not yet commented on the interview.

• “PMC Wagner” is an unofficial Russian military unit that does not belong to the Ministry of Defense of Russia or other state structures. Fighters of PMC Wagner participate in ground operations in Syria, Africa and in the war with Ukraine. Mercenaries are suspected of committing numerous war crimes.
• The first reports appeared in the summer of last year that Prigozhin was touring Russian colonies, offering prisoners to go to war as part of Wagner’s PMC. There is no exact data on how many prisoners were recruited, however, according to human rights activists and various media sources, it could be tens of thousands of people.
• The other day, Prigozhin said that Wagner’s PMC had stopped recruiting prisoners in Russian colonies to participate in the war in Ukraine.
• Russian military resources also recognized the large losses during the attempted offensive on Belogorovka in the summer of last year.
• In January, it became known that Andrey Medvedev, the former mercenary commander of PMC Wagner, requested political asylum in Norway. He illegally crossed the Russian-Norwegian border. Before that, he made statements about the bullying of “PMC Wagner” fighters against each other.
• Prigozhin himself repeatedly hinted at the fact that Wagner’s PMC was dealing with “traitors”. In the fall of last year, resources close to the group published a video that allegedly captured the sledgehammer murder of Evgeny Nuzhin, a former prisoner recruited by PMC Wagner, who surrendered and then returned to Russia under unclear circumstances. Prigozhin did not directly confirm or deny that Nuzhin was killed. Interlocutors of the BBC in the Russian colonies claimed that they were shown videos of other similar murders.