The Wagner troupe plays an important role in the Ukraine war. In Bakhmut, among other places, the fighters of chief Yevgeny Prigozhin are deployed. So that he still has enough people, he is now breaking new ground in recruiting.
As the US Institute for the Study of War writes, the focus is on sports clubs. At least three new recruitment centers were opened between Thursday and Saturday. And at important sports locations.
Wagner wants to recruit additional fighters for the Russian Boxing Association in Tyumen, West Siberia. The same is true of the Antares sports club in Rostov in southern Russia and Dinamo Samara in the Volga region.
In addition, according to Russian media, a youth club of the Wagner troupe was founded in Saint Petersburg. The club is said to be called Wagnernyok. According to the reports, young people are to be motivated with patriotic events for the military special operation.
According to the ISW, the reason for the new openings may be the recent halt to the recruitment of prisoners. As early as February, Prigozhin said they had stopped accepting prisoners into the troops.
This week, the Wagner boss hinted that the Kremlin itself has banned him from this type of recruitment. The government around Vladimir Putin is also said to have sabotaged the supply of ammunition to the Prigozhin fighters.
Russia has reportedly recruited over 50,000 prisoners for the Ukraine war. Numerous convicted criminals were lured into the army with the prospect of release, among other things.
