Evgeny Prigozhin, known by the nickname “cook” of Vladimir Putin, personally recruits mercenaries from the “Wagner” PMC to fight in Ukraine, MediaZona reports.

Several Russian prisoners told investigative journalists at this independent Russian website operating abroad that a short, bald, elderly man visited their prisons, offering them money and freedom in exchange for fighting in Ukraine.

Some of them recognized him as Prigozhin, the leader of Wagner’s mercenary group and the owner of a catering company favored by the Kremlin, hence the nickname of Putin’s “chef”.

The first reports that Wagner’s group had begun recruiting in Russian prisons appeared in early July amid a personnel crisis facing the Russian armed forces due to heavy losses in Ukraine and reluctance of Russians to volunteer.

Most recently, Ruslan Pushkov, director of the Moscow Center for the Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, close to the Russian Ministry of Defense, explained in a wide-ranging interview in which he took an X-ray picture of the capabilities of the Russian armed forces. that the army that Putin sent to Ukraine has big problems with the number of infantrymen.

“Putin’s cook”, recruiting in Russian prisons and colonies

An inmate of the high-security Rybinsk colony in the Yaroslavl region told investigative journalists that on August 1, Prigozhin appeared here with the “Hero of the Russian Federation” medal presented by Putin on his chest.

“We were all taken to the parade ground, that is, the entire colony, including the disabled and generally everyone who for various reasons should not go to the parade – canteen workers, elderly people, sick people from the exit. medical part Also, everyone from the industrial zone was taken away from work,” he said.

“When he was asked from the ranks who he was, he later answered with Google. I am 1000% sure that it was Prigozhin,” says the prisoner.

According to his estimates, a little more than 1,500 people gathered for the rally – convicts “who can walk” and all employees of the colony. They were told that the “Third World War” was coming and they could fight on the side of Russia.

Yevgeny Prigozhin’s address to Russian prisoners who are interested in Wagner’s group

“We are not armed forces, but a real paramilitary organized criminal group. My guys go to African countries and leave nothing alive there in two days, and now they are destroying the enemies in Ukraine. Your decision to serve in PMG is a deal with the devil. If you leave here with me, you will either return free or die,” another man who recognized him quotes Yevhen Prigozhin’s message from memory.

“You will be required to kill enemies and follow the orders of the leadership. Those who escape will be shot on the spot,” he allegedly said.

To those who agreed to the deal, Prigozhin promised 100,000 rubles a month “plus about the same amount of bonus”, and in case of a “dignified” death – 5 million rubles to the family.

Those who agreed to fight against Ukraine must pass a multi-stage check: an interview, fitness tests, then a document check and a polygraph check to see if the prisoner deserts, uses drugs, or is capable of committing a crime. If the candidate passes the polygraph, after two weeks he is taken out for training.

“First of all, they are interested in criminals and robbers, they are afraid of drug addicts, the same applies to rapists. He said “you’ll love it here”. In general, he gave the impression of a maniac,” another convict, quoted by MediaZona, claims.

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