Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin wants to recruit another 30,000 volunteers for his private Wagner troupe and the war until May.
In an advertising campaign in Russian sports clubs, 500 to 800 men signed contracts every day, Yevgeny Prigozhin said Saturday on the Telegram channel of his press team. “Recruits are sent to training camps.” On Sunday, Prigozhin recalled that exactly one year ago, on March 19, Wagner’s fighters intervened in the fighting in Ukraine. Currently, mercenaries are mainly fighting in the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, where they are advancing with heavy casualties. On the prospect of a Russian war of aggression, he said: “For the time being, the prospects are hazy.”
Pale, sluggish, limping – Putin has never been seen so weak
Russian forces must prepare for an offensive into Ukraine. Unity is necessary for victory. That’s why you should leave “disagreements, insults and everything else” behind. The head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, had already signed the tightening of the controversial law that punishes “slandering” or “discrediting” war volunteers. This not only severely punishes criticism of the regular army, but also of “volunteers” fighting in the neighboring country.
“Discrediting the Russian Army”
The law “On Registration of Amendments to the Criminal Code” was published on the official legal portal of the Russian government on Saturday. A conviction under the new law carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. The toughening of the law is mainly due to a demand by Prigozhin. He had recruited ranks of serious criminals for the war against Ukraine. The 61-year-old urged politicians to protect mercenaries – who are officially considered volunteers – from defamation.
In recent months, the Russian leadership has massively restricted freedom of expression in its own country in connection with its war of aggression against Ukraine. Several opponents of the war have been sentenced to several years in prison in recent months for allegedly “discrediting the Russian army” or spreading false information. Internationally, many are considered political prisoners.
Rfi navigation account, time 20 minutes 03/19/2023, 20:39 | Act: 03/19/2023, 20:57