- The Wagner Group recruited thousands of Russian prisoners of war to fight in Ukraine in exchange for their freedom.
- The deceased are sent home to be buried, but the residents disagree on how they should be treated.
- A soldier convicted of murdering his mother and sister was buried in “Heroes Alley.”
Many Russian prisoners of war who fought on the Ukrainian front lines paid the ultimate price, but their compatriots at home disagreed as to whether they should be honored.
The Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary organization founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, has created controversy by recruiting convicted criminals to fight in Ukraine in exchange for their freedom. The group said last month it was halting the practice after reports suggesting prisoners began refusing to go because they were unwilling to participate in suicide missions.
Several soldier taken prisoner They complained that they were given inadequate training, weapons, or supplies and were essentially sent to the front lines to die. The British Defense Ministry said in an intelligence briefing earlier this month that about half of the Russian prisoners of war sent to fight Ukraine had died or been wounded.
British intelligence said last week that the Russian army was now facing a troop “escape” as thousands of prisoners who fought were expected to be released in exchange for amnesty.
However, returning soldiers, dead or alive, are unlikely to be greeted with universal gratitude.
Roman Lazaruk, a former prisoner from the Rostov region of Russia, was convicted in 2014 of murdering his mother and sister. new york timesAfter his death at the Battle of Bahmut, he was buried in “Hero’s Alley”, a section of the cemetery containing World War II veterans.
However, the protagonist’s treatment was condemned by some members of the community, including her sister’s former classmate. local russian outlet“They killed, stole, stabbed, raped, went to jail, and kept killing. What kind of heroes are they?”
Wagner Group Chief Evgeny Prigozhin attends the funeral of Dmitry Menshikov, a Wagner Group fighter who died during a special operation in Ukraine, at Belostrovskoye Cemetery outside St. Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, December 24, 2022.
Associated Press, File
The controversy has also plagued local officials who want to avoid the controversy of giving prisoners public honor and residents who want their fallen soldiers to be treated with respect as defenders of their homeland, The Times said. reported.
When the mayor of Russia’s Krasnodar Territory suspended the funerals of prisoners of war who died in action, Prigozhin, the founder of Wagner, threatened to pile the corpses in the mayor’s living room, according to The Times.
Some residents are also concerned that amnesty prisoners who return alive may turn violent. The UK Ministry of Defence said the return of former prisoners to Russian society could pose a threat to local communities, saying “a sudden influx of recent, often violent criminals with often traumatic combat experiences”. ‘, he points out.
