The New York Times: Russia Lures Wagner Veterans to Return to Fight in Ukraine

According to former soldiers and military bloggers quoted in the article, Russian forces are making more efforts to recruit Wagner veterans to help the Kremlin avoid another mobilization and preserve some of the forces’ combat potential after the June mutiny and the death of the military group’s commander, J. Prigozhin.

According to The New York Times, four former Russian prisoners who fought with Wagner in eastern Ukraine said they received calls and texts in recent weeks offering new military contracts. Such statements of theirs confirm the reports of the authors of Russian military blogs that appeared recently.

The three former fighters said they were specifically offered to join the Rosgvardiya, the paramilitary wing of the Russian National Guard.

The Wagner company officially becomes part of Rosgvardija. The entire structure, working methods and commanders remain the same,” the publication quotes the text of the letter received by the former Wagner hitman.

The authors of the article noted that the authenticity of the message could not be verified, but it appeared in the context of a broader effort by Rosgvardija to present itself as the successor to Wagner’s sprawling pro-Kremlin paramilitary force, which at its peak numbered tens of thousands of fighters on three continents.

A Rosgvardija official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the force had recently created a special brigade to take in former prisoners who fought in the Wagner units.

Other ex-Wagner members are said to have joined Achmat, a Rosgvardiya tactical unit based in Russia’s southern Chechnya region.

In September, Wagner halted mercenary recruitment, Russian media reported, citing messages in the correspondence of relatives of fighters who had served with the company.

One of the Telegram channels associated with Wagner also published a message from an administrator stating that “recruitment for the company has been temporarily suspended due to recent events.”

According to The New York Times, those who want to fight in the ranks of the company are listed in the “reserve”.

Later, Pavel, the son of Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the liquidated Russian PMC Wagner, became the “big man” and headed this private military company, which is now part of Rosgvardija.