Wagner-founder and Putin-ally Prigozhin sez he stopped recruiting criminals

[BeBMan]

Prigozhin is also a hero for free speech:

Russian lawmakers have adopted the second reading of amendments to misdemeanor and felony statutes that would expand protections for soldiers and federal officials against “disinformation” and “discrediting claims” to all “volunteers” aiding Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. If passed in a third and final reading (this vote is scheduled for March 14) and then adopted by the Federation Council and signed by President Putin, the legislation would make it illegal to spread any unofficial information about “volunteer battalions” or Russian mercenaries now fighting in Ukraine. Even expressing general disapproval of these groups or their actions could constitute a crime.

The amendments also raise the maximum penalty for violating these felony statutes without aggravating circumstances, from three years in prison to five years. Lawmakers also voted to raise the maximum felony penalty for spreading “discrediting” claims that somehow result in death or mass unrest, from five years in prison to seven. The maximum punishment for disseminating “disinformation” about soldiers, volunteers, and officials would remain 15 years in prison.

In the immediate aftermath of the February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian lawmakers enacted sweeping restrictions on anti-war speech. In January 2023, the outspoken head of the Wagner Group paramilitary cartel, Evgeny Prigozhin, publicly urged State Duma Speaker Vyacheclav Volodin to extend these limitations to speech about “volunteers, including former prison inmates” (thousands of whom Wagner Group has recruited to fight in Ukraine).

(bolding mine)

Linkus Medius Maximus

[pchang]

And yet, Prigozhin has managed to avoid being charged for directly calling military leaders traitors and impediments to victory.

[Serb]

That is called a free country.

[BeBMan]

Prigozhin doesn't get many new prisoners for Wagner, instead they are increasingly recruited by Russia's MoD:

Russian prisoners who have been recruited by Russia’s Defense Ministry since February 2023 are now signing contracts to serve the Russian military for 18 months, reports Olga Romanova, head of the NGO Russia Behind Bars, on Telegram. Romanova writes that she learned of the new practice in the Sverdlovsk and Yaroslavl regions.

Until recently, Romanova notes, prisoners were signing up for six months of service. In March 2023, Wagner Group founder Evgeny Prigozhin announced that more than 5,000 former prisoners had been freed, since summer 2022, after fulfilling their contracts with his private military company.

Romanov believes that increased length of contracts may connected to the Russian authorities’ admission that the war will continue into 2024.

“They’re counting on fighting next year also,” she said.

Wagner Group pioneered the recruitment of Russian prisoners to fight in Ukraine, during the summer of 2022. By that winter, according to Russia Behind Bars, more than 50,000 prisoners had been recruited. Russia’s Defense Ministry took over prisoner recruitment in early 2023.

https://meduza.io/en/news/2023/04/08/russia-behind-bars-prisoners-are-now-signing-18-month-contracts-to-fight-in-ukraine

[Serb]

Russian prisoners who have been recruited by Russia’s Defense Ministry since February 2023 are now signing contracts to serve the Russian military for 18 months, reports Olga Romanova, head of the NGO Russia Behind Bars, on Telegram.

You don't need to know more to understand that is a well-paid Western propaganda bullsh!t!

[Serb]

Wenn alles nach Plan lauft, ist mein Deutscher "kein Freund", warum saugen sie das so?
Warum migrieren ihre Fabriken in die USA?
Warum hast du einen vollen arsch in der wirtschaft?!!!

[Serb]

Warum?!!!

[Serb]

The answer to this question is simple and painful - because you are a whore and occupied by USA!
You are not a subject of the international law, you are an object, and an occupied puppet!

[Serb]

Deutschland Uber alles, my ass!!!

[pchang]

It is sad to see someone smoking and drinking themselves to death in the vain hope they will die before being forced to face the truth of what their nation had truly become.

[Serb]

Du armselige schwanzlutscher!

[Serb]

You can't resist to fall in love with German language, when you realize the layer of swearing in it!
Their swearings are almost like Russian!

[Serb]

It is sad to see someone smoking and drinking themselves to death in the vain hope they will die before being forced to face the truth of what their nation had truly become.

Who the F are you to lecturing me? (c.)

[pchang]

Someone who cares about you more than Putin does.

[Serb]

Like I care, if Putin cares about me!
I am an adult man, who takes care about himself and the last thing I need is Putin or an half-Chinese to care about me!

[Serb]

You are a walking betryal of your people!

[BeBMan]

If any of the Wagnerites causes trouble back home, Prigozhin is there to take care of him:

A convicted murderer who was allowed to leave prison in Russia to join the Wagner private military company and fight in Ukraine was arrested within days of returning home on suspicion of killing an elderly woman.

Ivan Rossomakhin was already a repeat-offender when he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for murder in 2020. He was released last year after signing up to fight for Wagner.

(...)

One resident, Galina Sapozhnikova, said Rossomakhin was seen holding a pitchfork, an ax and a knife, threatening to kill everyone.

The District Police Chief Vadim Varankin told the meeting that Rossomakhin was a “known troublemaker” and was being dealt with.

But before that could happen, an elderly woman in the town was murdered. Rossomakhin was arrested on suspicion of carrying out the crime but has not been formally charged.

Prigozhin himself has commented on the case, saying that his company is willing to assist law enforcement in relation to any of its former fighters.

“If a person is behaving aggressively or provocatively or if there is any risk, especially if he is from the category of former prisoners, you need to let us know. We will send our recruiting group, carefully collect him and send him back to the front, to the place where he should take out his aggression,” he said.

(...)

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/31/europe/wagner-convict-fighter-detained-after-return-intl/index.html

[pchang]

This might work if Ukraine's army was made up of elderly women.

[BeBMan]

Wagner boss threatens Bakhmut withdrawal unless his forces get more munitions

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/30/world/wagner-head-threatens-withdrawal-bakhmut-intl/index.html

It would surprise me if he could decide on his own to leave without getting a quick flight through the nearest Kremlin window, so looks like he pulls just a show for point-scoring in his feud with defence minister Shoigu and/or wants to blame Shoigu for a lack of progress.

[pchang]

It would surprise me if he could decide on his own to leave without getting a quick flight through the nearest Kremlin window, so looks like he pulls just a show for point-scoring in his feud with defence minister Shoigu and/or wants to blame Shoigu for a lack of progress.

He is probably saying this in an effort to forestall an uncontrolled retreat by his men. "Hold out a little longer, but you can retreat if I don't get enough ammo."

[Dinner]

He is laying the ground work to justifying any mass retreat of his not very good forces. The Russians seem very afraid of the coming Ukrainian offensive. State media is even making up excuses to prepare people in the event of a defeat.