russian Defence Ministry recruits prisoners for war against Ukraine, but doesn't pay them the money they were promised – NYT
Commanders order them to leave the dead on the battlefield to avoid paying compensation for them
The New York Times has investigated how russian prisoners are fighting in Ukraine now that the russian Defence Ministry is recruiting them, rather than the Wagner PMC. One of the former prisoners, Aleksandr, told reporters that his hastily assembled unit had been sent to stand guard near a river in southern Ukraine in case the Ukrainian military tried to cross it.
According to him, after shelling and ambushes, about 40 fighters in his 120-person unit survived. The russian military is now trying to force the survivors to stay on the battlefield after their 6-month contracts expire, according to Aleksandr and other prisoners.
"They send us to slaughter. We are not people for them, because we are criminals," Aleksandr said in a voice message sent to journalists.
Like other recruited prisoners, Aleksandr was promised a monthly salary of about 200,000 rubles and freedom at the end of his 6-month contract, a copy of which he shared with the newspaper.
The contract of another prisoner included an obligation to stay in Ukraine for another year after being pardoned as a professional military.
The interviewed prisoners complained about irregular payments, which were much less than the promised amounts, as well as the inability to receive compensation for injuries.
Some former inmates said that commanders had ordered them to leave the bodies of the dead on the battlefield so that the soldiers would be considered missing and no compensation would be paid to their relatives.
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