prisoners recruited by the Russian army wagner group To fight in ukraine They seem increasingly aware that they have been tricked and that no one expected them to be brought back to life.
one prisoner Recruited into the group in November, he left the team in Ukraine’s Luhansk region and fled to Russia on a bus and rideshare app.
“We thought we were equal to hired fighters, no different, but in reality they are just building attack teams out of prisoners, and that’s a big part of it. . [in the meat grinder]But I will never go back there again. If you refuse to do something, they will kick you out immediately. media zone on Wednesday.
Troshkin said he had a few more years left to serve in a Siberian penal colony when he was the founder of the Wagner Group. Evgeny Prigogine Visited in the fall and told prisoners “colorfully” about the possibility of amnesty.
He accepted Prigogine’s promise and was soon transferred from his colony along with nearly 200 other prisoners.
“We signed papers about who to notify in case of our death, [stating] Despite the fact that I may die, I agree to participate in military operations and carry out the duties of the Ministry of Defense.
Troshkin said he learned about the demonstrative executions of children in camps after being sent to the occupied Luhansk region for training.
Rogue Wagner Commander Throws Prigogine Under Bus
“Two men standing at the checkpoint stole something and were quickly dismissed. and died with dignity,” he said, adding, “They shot themselves there.”
As Troshkin says, Wagner’s leaders also sent released prisoners on suicide missions, knowing full well that they would never come back to life.
“Rudely put, it’s just shit,” he said. “Thousands of them [the penal colonies], tell them that everything is fine, go home and 90% die. ”
Troshkin told the outlet that he fled the group after its training camp was attacked by Ukrainian forces. I returned to Siberia using
He said he originally intended to go back to prison.
“What’s the point in going back to prison? I’ve been released, I’ve been forgiven, but for Wagner’s sake I’ll have to hide and change my phone,” he said. I was.
Troshkin’s testimony came out when a former Wagner commander began testifying to Norwegian war crimes investigators, seeking political asylum in Norway.
Andrei Medvedev, 26, spent four months with the group before deserting and fleeing across the Russian-Norwegian border last month.
He agreed with Troshkin’s assertion, saying that Wagner’s fighters would be “treated like cattle” sent for slaughter.
“There was a time when they brought in two prisoners who refused to fight and shot them in front of others for refusing to follow orders. Said Moscow Times“There have been many such incidents.”
While former combatants have expressed disillusionment with the group, Wagner has also reportedly been snubbed by the Russian Ministry of Defense when it comes to repatriating war dead.
“They are not friends with the Ministry of Defense, they will not help them [Wagner] with coffin. Since they are not officially considered military, they cannot use the ministry’s infrastructure and have to run around with corpses on the market,” a Russian funeral industry source told the independent agency. Told. Verstka on Wednesday.
Another source said the family of the deceased Wagner fighter was given an empty coffin to bury.
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