Russia's Wagner mercenary group has resumed recruiting fighters in at least two regions months after the death of its founder and longtime leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, local media have reported.
Wagner halted recruitment in the chaotic months following Prigozhin's late-June mutiny against Russia’s military leadership. In August, Prigozhin and his close associates were killed in a plane crash that is widely believed to have been an assassination plot orchestrated by the Kremlin.
According to the online news outlets 59.ru and NGS.ru, the private military company has started to recruit fighters as part of Russia's National Guard (Rosgvardia) in the central Perm region and the Novosibirsk region in Siberia.
“The emblems and symbols remain the same,” an anonymous Wagner spokesperson was quoted as saying by 59.ru, while the Novosibirsk outlet NGS.ru was told by another Wager source that the new “contracts are signed not with the Defense Ministry, but Rosgvardia.”
It was unclear if new recruits would be sent to fight in Ukraine.
Prigozhin’s 25-year-old son Pavel is reportedly heading the new National Guard unit under the nominal title of “Wagner.”
Wagner, which had recruited prisoners alongside volunteer fighters, played a key role in Moscow's capture of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut earlier this year.
In July, Russia’s Defense Ministry required all “volunteer detachments” to sign contracts with the military — a demand vehemently opposed by Prigozhin.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
