Russian Army in military crisis: Wagner Group head filmed attempting to recruit prisoners

On footage and verified by the BBC, Yevgenity Priogzyn can be seen addressing a large group of prisoners.

Pigozin told the prisoners that their sentences will be compensated in exchange for serving his group.

This video confirms speculation that has long circulated that Russia is hoping to empower its forces by recruiting recruits.

While Russian law does not allow the removal of the prison sentence in exchange for the mercenary service, Prigozhin insisted that “nobody will return to the cell” if they serve his group.

“If you serve for six months (in the Wagner group), you are free”, he said, but he warned potential recruits against desertion and said “if you arrived in Ukraine and decide that this is not for you, we will execute you”.

He also briefed prisoners on the rules of the Wagner group, such as the ban on alcohol, drugs and “sexual relations with women and men”.

Speaking on video, the head of mercenaries also cited the difficulties Russia faced in the long-standing conflict, telling them that “this is a difficult fight and does not compare to the fight of Chechnya”.

It's unclear who filmed this video, when it was made and how it was published, but the BBC has located the view that is in Mary El Republic in central Russia. /Periscopi/