War in Ukraine. Wagner opens recruiting centers to recruit his troops

The head of Russia’s Wagner militant group announced Friday the opening of 58 recruitment centers in 42 Russian cities as he seeks to replenish his troops suffering heavy losses in eastern Ukraine.

The “Wagner” group is on the front line in the battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, and its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhine, himself admitted that many fighters of his organization were killed there.

Tension with staff

Amid tensions with the defense minister, Yevgeny Prigogine has repeatedly complained that she can no longer recruit from Russian prisons, where Wagner is recruiting prisoners on a large scale in exchange for reduced sentences.

In a change of tack, he has recently turned to gyms to open recruitment points there to attract potential recruits. “Collection centers were opened on behalf of Wagner in 42 cities of the Russian Federation. There are new warriors arriving, (they) will accompany us to protect their country and their familiesEugenie Prigogine said Friday in a press release issued by her press service.

His message was accompanied by a list of these recruitment centers, most of which appear to have been set up in gyms and martial arts clubs. Eugenie Prigogine, however, did not specify how many contract fighters she intends to recruit through these centers and in what timeframe.

Very heavy losses

The announcement comes as Wagner has suffered heavy losses in months of fighting around Bakhmut, the Ukrainian city of Donbas that has become the epicenter of hostilities with Kiev’s army. To stem a series of humiliating battlefield setbacks last summer, Russia announced the mobilization of 300,000 reservists in September. At the same time, the Wagner group was authorized to recruit several thousand fighters from Russian prisons in exchange for an amnesty for six months on the front lines.

But tensions between the general staff and Wagner’s boss have surfaced in recent weeks, while Russia has made only modest progress in its offensive in the Donbass. Yevgeny Prigogine has thus repeatedly multiplied his fierce criticism of the Russian military hierarchy, in turn criticizing its inefficiency, slowness and bad decisions in Ukraine.

He accused the authorities of not providing his people with the necessary ammunition, and the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the Army of wanting to destroy his “Wagner” group. “Despite the enormous resistance of the armed forces of Ukraine, we will move forward. Despite the obstacles in our way (…), we will overcome it together“, he vowed on Friday. Despite the rift between Wagner and the army, Russian forces have advanced in recent days around Bakhmut, threatening to encircle the city, which the Ukrainians continue to fiercely defend.

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