Russia pardons 5,000 former criminals after fighting in Ukraine, Wagner head says

[Chris]

Russia pardons 5,000 former criminals after fighting in Ukraine, Wagner head says
“At the present time, more than 5,000 people have been released on pardon after completing their contracts with Wagner,” said Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.
By REUTERS

More than 5,000 former criminals have been pardoned after finishing their contracts to fight in Russia's Wagner mercenary group against Ukraine, the founder of Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said on Saturday.

Wagner Group, originally staffed by battle-hardened veterans of the Russian armed forces, took on a much more prominent role in the Ukraine war after the Russian army suffered a series of humiliating defeats last year.

Prigozhin emerged from the shadows and recruited thousands of men from prisons, offering them the chance of freedom in return for serving in some of the most dangerous battles in Ukraine.

more.............. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-735376

 

[Spartan Sprinter 1]

Wonder how many of these "Russian criminals" were legitimate criminals or peiple who dared to speak out against Putin?

 

[Jaybird]

It's surely a convenient way of getting rid of the "undesirable" people in your country. I would think that their odds of being killed in prison would be much lower than being on the frontlines of a war, but it must be so bad that they would willingly sign up for this task. I guess that is the real question - did they volunteer on their own free will or were they "volunteered" by someone else for this?

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

It's surely a convenient way of getting rid of the "undesirable" people in your country. I would think that their odds of being killed in prison would be much lower than being on the frontlines of a war, but it must be so bad that they would willingly sign up for this task. I guess that is the real question - did they volunteer on their own free will or were they "volunteered" by someone else for this?

Freedom is precious. Regardless of why someone were imprisoned or the conditions, many would have volunteered just for the chance to be free.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

May God bless all of those that earned their freedom, with useful and productive lives in His service.

I said this in another thread . . . there are no atheists in foxholes. Bet a lot of the unsaved got saved during service, and I hope they come back and strengthen and embolden the Orthodox Church and other believers.