Freed to Fight War, Russia's Convicts Return to Kill Again. (cover story)
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- MacFARQUHAR, NEIL; MAZAEVA, MILANA; Matsnev, Oleg
- Source
- New York Times. 4/7/2024, Vol. 173 Issue 60117, p1-12. 2p.
- Subject
- *WAR
*AUTOMOBILE theft
*CRIME
*ROBBERY
- Language
- ISSN
- 0362-4331
The article reports on the convicts in Russia who were pardoned and recruited by the private Wagner mercenary group to fight in the war in Ukraine and are now committing crimes on their return to Russia. Survey data shows the number of criminal cases initiated against pardoned Wagner recruits in 2023. It presents instances of recidivist crimes committed by veterans from the Wagner group or otherwise that include theft, fraud, rape and murder such as the killing of a lawyer by a highway gang.