‘Putin’s Chef’ Is Personally Touring Russian Prisons for Wagner Recruits to Fight in Ukraine, Reports Say
Daily Beast by Allison Quinn 8/6/2022
https://www.thedailybeast.com/putins-chef-yevgeny-prigozhin-is-touring-prisons-for-wagner-recruits-to-fight-in-ukraine-reports-say“In general, he gave the impression of a mania,” one unnamed prisoner was quoted telling Mediazona.A sanctioned Russian businessman and close Putin ally linked to the notorious Wagner Group has reportedly been personally touring Russian prisons and recruiting inmates to join the fight in Ukraine.
That’s according to new reporting out Saturday by the independent outlet Mediazona, which interviewed two inmates held in different facilities in different regions of Russia. Numerous reports have emerged in recent weeks about Wagner’s alleged new recruiting drive among inmates, with the private Russian military force ostensibly trying to shore up Russian forces that have been depleted by heavy losses in the nearly six month war.
But this appears to be the first time that Yevgeny Prigozhin, commonly known as “Putin’s chef,” personally appealed to inmates.
“They are primarily interested in murderers and robbers, they treat the drug addicts warily, the same with the rapists. It’s better, he said, for it to not be common killers, but straight up calculating ones–you will like it with us, he said. In general, he gave the impression of a mania,” one unnamed inmate was quoted telling Mediazona.
The inmate went on to note there seemed to be no coercion to join, though “very many” did sign up, he said, estimating that at least 200 inmates eagerly accepted the offer.
More at link.