THE RUSSIAN PRIVATE MILITARY COMPANY, THE WAGNER GROUP, RELEASED ANOTHER VIDEO OF AN ALLEGED DESERTER BEING EXECUTED.
THE MAN IN THE VIDEO SAID HIS NAME WAS DMITRY YAKUSHCHENKO. HE WAS REPORTEDLY SERVING TIME IN A RUSSIAN PRISON FOR MURDER BEFORE BEING RECRUITED BY WAGNER TO FIGHT IN UKRAINE.
IN THE VIDEO, CAPTIONED TRIAL FOR TREACHERY, YAKUSHCHENKO SAID HE WANTED TO DEFECT TO UKRAINE BUT WAS CAPTURED BY WAGNER FORCES BEFORE HE COULD.
AS YAKUSHCHENKO EXPLAINS IN THE VIDEO HOW HE WOKE UP WITH HIS HEAD TAPED TO A WALL, THE FIGURE BEHIND YAKUSCHENKO STRIKES HIM IN THE HEAD WITH A SLEDGEHAMMER SEVERAL TIMES. THE VIDEO GOES TO BLACK AND THE WORDS “THE COURT SESSION IS ADJOURNED” APPEAR ON THE SCREEN.
THE APPARENT RECORDED MURDER IS THE SECOND SUCH VIDEO TO BE RELEASED BY WAGNER MERCENARIES. YEVGENY NUZHIN WAS KILLED IN SIMILAR FASHION IN NOVEMBER. IT’S UNCLEAR WHEN AND WHERE THIS SECOND VIDEO WAS RECORDED.
THE LEADER OF WAGNER, YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN, RECRUITED HEAVILY FROM RUSSIAN PRISONS TO BOLSTER HIS MERCENARY FORCES IN UKRAINE. WAGNER FIGHTERS ARE REPORTEDLY DYING BY THE THOUSANDS AS RUSSIA TRIES TO TAKE BAKHMUT, IN EASTERN UKRAINE.
LAST WEEK, PRIGOZHIN SAID HE IS NO LONGER RECRUITING FROM RUSSIAN PRISONS. PRIGOZHIN, ALSO KNOWN AS PUTIN’S CHEF, IS GROWING MORE POPULAR WITH PRO-WAR FACTIONS IN RUSSIA, WHICH MAY EXPLAIN WHY PUTIN IS NOW PUTTING LIMITS ON WHERE WAGNER RECRUITS.
YOU CAN FIND MORE UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS ABOUT THE WAGNER GROUP AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS DOT COM