Prison recruits describe atrocities at “Wagner” – now they are fighting for Ukraine. New York Times says that current prison recruitment has not been this large since World War II.
As long as he can compensate for the front's losses with prisoners, a second round of mobilization of the broader Russian population will be delayed. While prisoners like Vladislav and Mikhail are sent to the front, Putin can maintain a semblance of normality in the big cities. Putin's brutality is not only evident in the case of the prison mercenaries who serve as cannon fodder.