I can really confirm that the entire procedure for pardoning prisoners is carried out in strict accordance with Russian law.". Ms. Fedosik with Mr. Korin, Mr. Osadchiy and another former Kherson prisoner outside a notary office in Tbilisi in February. The scheme to send convicts to the war appears to have grown fast, with figures obtained by CNN from Russia's penal system showing a 27,000 drop in the prison population between March and November last year, when the scheme was just three months old. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) U.N. human rights monitors have documented dozens of summary killings of Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war, as well as other possible war crimes such as the use of torture, human shields and other abuses against POWs since Russia invaded its neighbor, according to a report released Friday.. For some, it was the start of a bewildering, five-country journey highlighting the
The Russian occupation authorities initially left the Kherson inmates to fend for themselves, focusing instead on purging Kyivs supporters from the city and looting. It was a drastic change from the informal rules of Ukrainian jails, where inmates often managed the prison grounds and wore civilian clothes, the former convicts said. With Unmodes legal support, they were able to appeal their immigration rulings after spending weeks, or even months, in the detention center. We couldnt believe our eyes, he would really come all the way to visit us, said Ivan, who is halfway through a 23-year sentence for murder and, like other inmates interviewed, asked to use a pseudonym out of concerns for his safety.
After spending just three weeks at home, Mr. Yastrebov said he was already getting ready to return to the front, despite the extraordinary casualty rates suffered by his prisons unit, according to Russia Behind Bars. Besides questions of effectiveness, Romanova said the process of recruiting prisoners to fight for a private military organisation while promising presidential pardons was completely unlawful on so many levels. First published on January 12, 2023 / 8:09 AM. 
To lift declining recruitment numbers, Wagner has lately been playing up the rewards for survivors, releasing videos of returned prisoners being granted freedom. Receive daily updates directly in your inbox -, Ukrainian and Russian POWs tortured and ill-treated: OHCHR, UNs human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine, Bucha killings raise serious questions about possible war crimes: Bachelet, Ukraine: Support for war crimes investigations of paramount importance, UNs Bachelet condemns horrors faced by Ukraines civilians, General Assembly adopts resolution on Russian reparations for Ukraine.
A former convict with military experience, he says he was put in charge of a detachment of prisoners who were dispatched on nearly suicidal missions around Bakhmut. He went because he was ashamed in front of his mother, he wanted to clear his name.. Russian prisoners in St. Petersburg are being offered freedom and money if they join Vladimir Putin 's war against Ukraine, according to a local independent news outlet.
The video of the purported execution comes days after horrific images emerged of the apparent slaughter of civilians by Russian forces in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha. The Russian military has suffered staggering losses since Moscow launched an invasion of Ukraine in February last year. This is what madness looks like.". No one ever uses a chopper to get down here. Former convicts from Russia have become an integral part of Russias military strategy as itfights for Bakhmut, Ukraine. Vladimir Osechkin, from prisoner rights group Gulagu.net, said the Ministry of Defense appeared to be luring recruits and convicts from Wagner using "more favorable terms" as a check on the rising clout of its owner, Prigozhin, increasingly seen as a competitor to parts of the armed forces. We wanted them to at least open our cell doors, so we could defend ourselves, so we could fight for our lives.. Emergency and search-and-rescue teams have deployed to assess and prioritize urgent needs and to provide life-saving assistance following the devastating earthquake near the Trkiye-Syria border. Oleksandr Fedorenko in his hometown, Pryluky, in Ukraine, last month. Some were beaten unconscious, he said. "I am being taken to be shot. A prisoner from Russia, whose leg had been amputated, in the infirmary where he was receiving treatment. However, none of these documents have been made public, raising questions about their legitimacy. Last month, a top Ukrainian military advisor said Russian prisoners fighting with Wagner were being shoved to the front lines and "killed in big quantities.". WebExclusive: Russian convicts say defense ministry is sending them from jail to fight as 'cannon fodder' in Ukraine By CNN's Nick Paton Walsh , Darya Tarasova and Jo "Of course, if I were a prisoner, I would dream of joining this friendly team in order to be able not only to redeem my debt to the Motherland, but also to repay it with interest," Concord cited him as saying. Have they proved reliable in the past?
In interviews last week, half a dozen prisoners of war provided rare firsthand accounts of what it is like to be part ofa sacrificial Russian assault. The exact number of Russian inmates recruited is hard to establish. A soldier points a rifle and fires two shots at the body, pauses, then fires another. Can we corroborate the information? Like everything in Russia, it was completely absurd, Mr. Osadchyi added. A Russian military vehicle marked with the "V" sign is seen in the video, filmed in Ukraine's Kyiv region. I started to think things over in a big way, he said. His grave is located outside Moscow, and records his month of death as November 2022. Under Russian law, all pardon petitions are evaluated by specialized regional committees before arriving at the Kremlin. He said he would now join up if Prigozhin came calling again. Ms. Fedosik helped Mr. Korin and Mr. Osadchiy who were shipped from a Ukrainian prison to a Russian one, before eventually being released return to Ukraine. A private named Aleksandr, 44, who shaved three years off a sentence for illegal logging by enlisting with Wagner, said that before deploying to the front he was told he would be shot if he disobeyed orders to advance. GOP majority could boot 3 Dems from Tennessee house over shooting protest, Black Hawk helicopter carrying 10 crashes into ocean, Japan's army says, Doctor charged after video allegedly shows her poisoning husband's tea, Israel says rockets fired from Lebanon after clashes at Jerusalem mosque, French president turns to China to push for Russia-Ukraine peace, Greenhouse gases continue reach toward "uncharted levels," NOAA warns, Novel treatment shows promise against rare cancer in kids. But the vast majority of Kherson prisoners remain in Russian jails, waiting for the end of their prison terms, some of which are years away. Unmodes organizer in Georgia, Aidana Fedosik, said the predicament of the Kherson prisoners is a microcosm of Russias occupation rule in Ukraine.
", "I don't have any complaints, war is war. CNN is withholding his name and those of the other surviving convicts for their safety. Detainees watching Ukrainian television news this month at the camp in western Ukraine. The shelling stopped, he went back, and the higher-up shouted to him: 'Why didn't you go forward?' Another captured Russian, Eduard, 22, enlisted to get four years cut from a sentence for car theft. Have they proved reliable in the past? 
We were told: Keep going until youre killed, Mr. Medvedev said in a phone interview from Russia after deserting in November. No more than 5 people know counteroffensive plan of Armed Forces of Ukraine Ukraine's Defence Council Secretary, Ukraine's Defence Ministry explains what they meant by saying situation in Bakhmut was "under control", Putin admits that Armed Forces of Ukraine cause losses of Russian army, Macron urges China to convince Russia to stop the war in Ukraine during state visit to Beijing, Three Russian MiG jets leave Belarus for Russia, Journalists find house of Russian-linked church's Metropolitan measuring 580 square metres, Ukraine orders more Rosomak armoured vehicles from Poland than previously announced, Russia has critical missile shortage Ukraine's Defence Council Secretary, Russia hit residential building in centre of Orikhiv and attacked Huliaipole with missiles, Xi tells Macron about his readiness to "work hard" for peace in Ukraine, UOC-MP priest who molested his own daughters detained Prosecutor's Office, Ukrainian war drama film Butterfly Vision released, China's leader to talk to Zelenskyy "when conditions are right" von der Leyen, Russia has not removed killing of Zelenskyy from agenda Ukraine's Defence CouncilSecretary, Xi Jinping did not change his mind on Russian war following talks with Macron. Journalists fight on their own frontline. With Putin's blessing, the Wagner Group has recruited inmates from Russian prisons to fight in the war in Ukraine promising a pardon if they survive six months on the battlefield. I heard about it. WebIn interviews last week, half a dozen prisoners of war provided rare firsthand accounts of what it is like to be part of a sacrificial Russian assault.
Inmates describe visits by Yevgeny Prigozhin, reported head of the Wagner group, who is said to offer pardons for those who enlist. They are covering more ground every day.. Andrei Medvedev said he joined Wagner within days of finishing his prison term for theft in southern Russia. He was convicted in March last year to seven years in jail, according to the Tanzanian foreign ministry, citing information from their Russian counterparts. Only Mr. Putin can issue a pardon under the Russian Constitution, and the Kremlin has not published such decrees since 2020. ", Inside Russia's efforts to use prisoners to fight the war in Ukraine, Former Wagner commander describes brutality and incompetence on the frontline, Fighting Wagner is like a 'zombie movie' says Ukrainian soldier, Opinion: How Russia outmaneuvered the US in Africa. Three of them have head wounds and blood is pooled around the body of a fourth, who has a jacket pulled over his head and seems to be rasping. We were received with shouts, beatings, humiliations, said Mr. Fedorenko, 47, who had been serving time in Kherson for theft, describing his introduction to a Russian-controlled prison. Every prisoner that doesnt go there is potentially a saved Ukrainian life, she said. They couldnt understand that we are foreign people who dont have anything to do with the Russian Federation.. WebOthers died in an explosion at a Russian prisoner of war barracks in Olenivka. I want to reassure you that Ukrainian army observes the rules of warfare., Kuleba added, There might be isolated incidents of the violation of these rules and they will be definitely investigated. He wasnt trying to sweet talk us. Rights activists say the returning inmates ambiguous legal status undermines Russias justice system and ties their fate to Wagner. as well as other partner offers and accept our. He described how one battle left half his unit as casualties. And they have become an integral component of Russias military strategy as itpresses a new offensive in Ukraines east: relying on overwhelming manpower, much of it comprising inexperienced, poorly trained conscripts, regardless of the high rate of casualties. Prigozhins personal recruitment of prisoners has made the previously shadowy businessman one of Russias most visible pro-war figures. Yet the operation remains largely cloaked in secrecy and propaganda.
Ukraine gave the mission access to Russian POWs where they were being held. The IK-2 penal colony in Pokrov, Russia.
Mr. Yastrebov, 22, who had been serving time for theft, returned home a changed man. Prigozhin, whose photo now appears on Wagner posters, commented on the footage by criticising those who opposed the recruitment of prisoners. One woman, Irina, said her husband, who was in jail in Nizhny Novgorod, had told her two weeks ago that he was departing for Ukraine the next day. He was captured on his first human wave assault. Natalia Yermak contributed reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine, and Alina Lobzina from London. I lost a lot of people there. The video first verified by the New York Times shows a group of soldiers with Ukrainian patches and blue arm bands on a road following a firefight. He also offered bravery bonuses, $80,000 death payouts and, should they survive the six-month contract, freedom in the form of a presidential pardon.
One, also a prisoner, said Sevalnev had been wounded once but sent back to fight on the frontline, where he was then wounded again. When I came to this war, I thought it was worth it, he said. In videos published on social media, Mr. Prigozhin promised the prisoners they would receive 100,000 rubles a month the equivalent of $1,700 at the time, and nearly double Russias average monthly wage. Sergei said he had worked as a cellphonetower technician in a far-northern Siberian city, living with his wife and three children. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are honorably defending the territory of Soledar," Prigozhin said. The man was shown telling inmates at another prison 500 miles north of Tambov that they would be freed if they served six months with his group, the first time the enlistment process had been captured on camera. WebA Russian prison monitor said Gershkovich is reading "Life and Fate" by Vasily Grossman, a Ukrainian Jew and war correspondent who reported from the front lines during World They were not forced to dig Russias defensive fortifications, nor was there an effort to exchange them for Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine. Romanova, the prisoners rights activist, expects that recruitment efforts in Russian prisons will be ramped up in the coming weeks. What do you want to do with it?.
20002023, Ukrainska Pravda. These orders were common, so our losses were gigantic, Sergei said. "They emphasize to us that they are not Wagner, that they were invited officially by the defense ministry," Andriy Usov, representative for defense intelligence, at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, told CNN. According to Romanovas estimate, about 11,000 Russian prisoners have already signed up to go to Ukraine, a number that she said was growing rapidly. We felt a bitterness in our souls, because Ukraine, our Motherland, had left us behind, said Andrii Stukalin, one of the prisoners.
"In short, the meat grinder," he added. Grainy footage obtained by Gulagu.net shows Sevalnev and his unit celebrating pre-deployment by dancing at a camp inside of Luhansk.
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In 2021, Mr. Putin pardoned just six people, according to the Kremlin. WebAug. Wagner released a ghoulish video of a memorial ceremony in Tarimo's honor at a graveyard in Molkino, western Russia, saying he died in October near Bakhmut. WebMarch 5, 2022. And they killed him.
Whats their motivation for telling us? Inside Russia's efforts to use prisoners to fight the war in Ukraine 05:24 (CNN) The audio is garbled at times, but the emotions are unmistakable.
Hundreds of Russian soldiers are reportedly refusing to fight and trying to quit. All prisoners were stripped of belongings and put into prison robes and rough felt boots. Videos Suggest Captive Russian Soldiers Were Killed at Close Range. All prisoners interviewed said they were promised a presidential pardon after six months and a salary of 100,000 rubles (1,400) a month. One recent day, at a base in a pine forest, new Azov recruits marched, stood at attention and Prison turns you into an animal, and there is a lot of hate growing inside you. WebUkraine has released the names of more than 100 Russian prisoners of war captured during the ongoing conflict in the country, urging their mothers to come and "take your ", The fate of convicts employed by Wagner appears no better, according to relatives of three convicts over the summer who appeared in. Rights advocates say pardons are rare, time-consuming and complex legal procedures that have never been issued in Russia on anywhere near the scale advertised by Wagner.
A US official said on Monday that Wagner, which has been accused of war crimes and human rights abuses in Ukraine and other conflicts, was trying to recruit more than 1,500 convicted felons. It gives a lot of sorrow and sadness as a family. Soon we might have no choice and be forced to go, he said, voicing a belief echoed by other prisoners contacted by the Guardian. Sammy Awami, Josh Pennington and CNN's Bethlehem Feleke, Victoria Butenko and Alex Stambaugh contributed to this report. Armies are effective when there is clear hierarchy and cohesion, Lee added. Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. His dash toward Ukrainian lines in a group of five soldiers ended with three dead and two captured.
Despite Prigozhins previous denials of any links to Wagner, a spokesperson for his company Concord said when asked about the recruitment video that the man in the footage looked and spoke like Mr Prigozhin. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
He lay in the dark until he was captured by Ukrainians who slipped into the buffer area between the two trench lines. He began recruiting prisoners for Wagner around the city, his hometown, last summer. "In the trench, 2-6 meters from me a shell lands, soil falls down to the trench, but I don't feel any fear at all. The situation of prisoners who finished their original sentences was complicated by the lack of diplomatic relations between Russia and Ukraine, meaning there was legally nowhere to send them back to. I am living my seventh decade. We see them crawl for a kilometer or more, toward Ukrainian trenches, then open fire at close range and try to capture positions, Col. Roman Kostenko, the chairman of the defense and intelligence committee in Ukraines Parliament, said in an interview. The Russians behavior befuddled the convicts from the start, with no one, including apparently their new jailers, having much of an idea what to do with them. The bodies of at least four men in Russian uniform are lying on the pavement. But Olga Romanova, the head of Jailed Russia, a prisoners rights NGO, believes the number is much higher. For some, it was the start of a bewildering, five-country journey highlighting the wars absurdity. A relative of Mr. Matyukhin confirmed that he had enlisted in Wagner, but other aspects of his war account could not be independently verified. From Georgia, Mr. Fedorenko and about 15 other Kherson prisoners eventually made it home, mainly by traveling through Moldova, which borders their homeland. The Kherson prisoners ordeal began a week after Russias invasion of Ukraine last February.
Yet, the jarring turns in their journey were not over. An undated photo published by the security service of Ukraine purportedly showing Wagner group mercenaries at an unidentified location. The New York Times interviewed the Russians at a detention center near Lviv in Ukraines west, where many captured enemy soldiers are sent. He told CNN in the past few days he had been sent back to the frontline, his injuries unhealed.
From Olga Voitovych. We all feel like he is in some sort of hypnosis, like he is a different person, said a relative of his, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. He said his unit had only 15 survivors and that the 08807 was now called 40321, or "Storm unit." WebOne atrocity in Vladimir Putin's unprovoked war in Ukraine is largely hidden-- the torture of prisoners. #Ukraine/#Russia: All prisoners of war must be treated humanely at all times - from capture until release & repatriation.
Interviews with former Wagner soldiers at the Ukrainian detention center aligned with these descriptions of the fighting and shed light on a violent, harrowing experience for Russian soldiers.