Prigozhin Has Started Recruiting Female Prisoners

The Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communications reported on its Telegram channel that, because of the heavy losses suffered by PWC Wagner in the battle for Bakhmut and elsewhere, Yevgeny Prigozhin, its head, has turned to alternative sources of manpower – released female prisoners.

Last week, a train carrying prisoners released from jails in Russia was observed moving towards the Donetsk region. Included within the train was one car female prisoners.

Olga Romanova, Russian journalist and head of the Sitting Russia foundation, has also expressed the opinion that PWC Wagner has started recruiting female prisoners.

"According to our information, women are already being sent to the front, the first group was taken from the Krasnodar Territory in late December, but currently nothing is known about their final destination or fate," she said.

In reporting the situation that his fighters are facing near Bakhmut, Prigozhin said on his own Telegram channel: "The situation is difficult. The closer we are to the center of the city [of Bakhmut], the heavier the fighting, the more artillery is working on us, and the more tanks. The Ukrainians are throwing in endless reserves, but we are moving forward." he said. 

Throughout the fighting near Bakhmut, it the estimated that Russia has lost at least 30,000 troops, with the PWC Wagner suffering the most casualties.

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