On Russia’s side in the war with Ukraine, entire units made up of prisoners are taking part, human rights activists say. According to them and media reports, a private military company associated with Yevgeny Prigozhin recruits brutal assassins and other dangerous criminals into war, who are promised hundreds of thousands of rubles a month in salary and pardon after six months of service. But in reality, prisoners are tricked into paying wages, many do not live to see the first payments – prisoners are the first to be thrown into battle.

With these complaints, prisoners and their relatives turn to the “Rus Sitting” fund. Their boss, Olga Romanova, told DW about how much these fighters are actually paid, as well as their attempts to bring their relatives back from reality television.

DW: You wrote that there was a “night wave” of complaints from relatives of prisoners. Why are there so many requests now?

Olga Romanova: For two reasons. Probably the most important thing is that they don’t pay the promised money. More than a month has passed since (from colony to war. – Red.) the first group left (prisoners. – Red.) and went into battle. The first battle with the participation of prisoners was near Luhansk on 12 July, and there were the first dead. Fights continue, people die, money is not paid. We have data on one payment of 30 thousand rubles, and on the second payment of 100 thousand rubles. There is no 200-400 thousand. And people fight and send their relatives to fight for money.

And the second thing. Prisoners began to die en masse. And this is not one, not two, not five cases. They die in units, which is also completely understandable – they’re not trained. They are in bad physical shape. Where can you get fit in the zone? Many of them did not pass the army. They have no idea what they are doing in Ukraine.

How was their recruitment? What did they themselves think and what was promised to them?

– Recruitment passed and passed. Yevgeny Prigozhin is not lazy and personally travels to many areas. He promises to visit 2,000 places of detention. That is, he says that he has visited, but we just don’t have that many in Russia.

He speaks their language: it starts with the fact that he himself is on trial and has criminal courage. And see how it always happens. A helicopter belonging to a private military company lands in the area, in the territory of the forbidden regime. This is an unprecedented case. Polite people in uniform come out of it, Prigozhin with the star of the Hero of Russia. They drive out all the jailers, and the jailers obey them and run away. Then the prisoners realize that a very big boss has arrived.

And they say to the prisoners: “Boys, you will leave here only in a wooden box. And we offer you money, fame, forgiveness, washing the blood for crimes, money, visits to relatives. Life will start over. You are soldiers of fortune!” And then there’s a set of words about the Nazis, Ukraine, Bandera and eight years of child murders in Donbass. Always the same. It must be said that prisoners are not driven to propaganda. Also, one of the prisoners from the colony near Ryazan told me the other day that they have a connection with the Kharkov colony and exchange information. That is, he knows the real picture, but still goes. Because of the money and because, as he says, he is a repeat offender, he has spent his entire life in prison. Now, they say, he will go free, drink, kill someone again and sit down again. Better, he says, to go to war. Yes, this is a complete lack of future, a lack of prospects, an impossibility of socialization. For them, this is the only opportunity to start a new life – to take the lives of others.

Where did you get all this information that you shared with us? Does this refer not only to the process and conditions of recruitment of prisoners, but also how and under what conditions are they supposed to fight?

– These are information from direct participants of the events.

– You referred to information from a repeat offender. Should we take the word of these people?

– His name is Roman, he is on Thursday (August 11th. – Ed.) went to war. This is a strict regime colony in Ryazan. He is a repeat offender. He is married and has a six-year-old daughter. The second prisoner is also a strict regime colony, Yaroslavl region. Also repeat offender. Both are convicted of murder. Everything they say is true.

– Recruit all prisoners?

– Definitely don’t recruit men over 55-60. If you’re 55 and in good physical shape, then it’s normal. Those who sit with a Ukrainian passport are not suitable. Basically, they don’t get the lowest class prisoner – those convicted of crimes against sexual integrity and pedophilia. They are not taken, not because they feel sorry for the Ukrainians, but because they are not going to fight them in the same trench. Although Prigogine says that in special cases they can consider these people. Well, they don’t accept the crippled, the sick.

All others are taken. Preference is given to murderers, not domestic murderers, but conscious ones. Articles related to grievous bodily harm – attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, armed robbery, robbery.

– Does everyone agree?

– I gladly agree. And they all have the same argument – war is better than prison.

– Are personnel sought in all consecutive colonies or in certain colonies?

– Now they managed to beat only the European part of Russia, but the whole. That is, starting with the areas of Vorkuta and Syktyvkar, then Komi, Arkhangelsk and ending with Adygea and Dagestan. We had information that they came to Perm and Novosibirsk, but this has not yet been confirmed.

– How many prisoners can Prigogine recruit?

– On average, he recruits 20% of the total colony composition. Let’s assume the stream dries up soon. Now we have 600 thousand. Let’s count on a minimum – 10 percent. It will easily recruit 50 to 60 thousand people. And in general – as much as you want. So it’s very important to talk about it. So that people finally understand what they are doing.

– Are they formed in whole units or are they linked to someone?

– Form separate divisions of PMC Wagner. From what we have heard, it is known that they form a unit of 40-42 people. They are promised that they will choose their own commander and distribute powers among themselves. As far as I understand, the “Wagnerites” don’t care who of them is who, and they don’t hide it when recruiting. They just don’t call a spade a spade. They say this by desertion – execution on the spot. But we already know that they are followed by real detachments among Wagner PMC fighters.

– Is the life of a prisoner not valued at all? Are they thrown into battle first?

– Of course, they are played the first. They are very, very poorly trained. It is clear that the “Wagnerites” are not interested in their survival. Prisoners are people who, first and foremost, fight over nicknames. Second, most often they do not have social ties, kin. And the dead don’t have to pay wages. Direct savings.

– Have you seen what contracts they make with them? Do they really stipulate payments of 200 thousand rubles?

– They are told this all in words, no one signs any contracts. We have a tape where the prisoner says they sign two papers with them. The first paper is a transfer petition to the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Rostov Region, where these brigades are formed. There is also minimal training. The second paper is a pardon petition addressed to the president. All. I also want to note that according to Russian law, the dead are not spared.

– What do the relatives say? Did the prisoners consult with them before being sent to Ukraine?

– Someone consulted, someone – no. All the while, according to my calculations, 2,500 prisoners were conscripted. Probably even more.

– How did you get that number?

– According to information from those who are now in prison, I am sure that the “Wagnerites” visited at least 15 zones. This is something that is confirmed well with surnames. They recruit 20 percent. I know the strength of each zone. In general, 3,000 were recruited, but I took 2,500 – if someone, perhaps, refused.

Today it is known that the wife of one of the recruits went on a date and categorically “recruited” her husband. It was difficult, but she is a strong woman, sitting alone. Another wife makes languid attempts to fight, but there the husband has already left, nothing can be done. And one of our sisters is seriously fighting to get her brother back. He receives threats from the FSB but fights.

Relatives do not understand. Putin and Prigozhin told their relatives about money and Ukrainian Nazis. They’re all on TV, they’re all on TV. Therefore, they are completely shocked by my answers.

– On social media, you write that you respond harshly to those who complain, for example, about small payments: “Your husband is a war criminal”.

– Yes very difficult. I would like people to understand what this is about, that this is money for participation in war, for war crimes. These people don’t understand this reaction. The authorities went to them, mentioned Putin, promised to forgive everything. “What are you saying girl?”

People need to use their brains. If not consciousness, then brain. Where do they send their loved ones? I don’t think they died there, playing lamb in the meadow. Of course. They killed.