An associate of Russian President Putin, his "cook" Yevgeniy Prygozhyn, confirmed that the Zambian citizen who died in Ukraine fought as part of the PMC “Wagner”.
This is stated in the statement of Prygozhynʼs Concord company.
"Yes, I remember this guy well. I spoke with him in Tver region and asked: "Why do you need this war? You will be able to leave early in a couple of years, soon you will be home and see your relatives. Why are you going After all? The chance of dying is quite high. Remember this." And he answered what I expected. He said: "You Russians have helped us Africans gain independence for many years. When we were in trouble, you reached out to us and you continue to do so now. The PMC “Wagner” saves thousands of Africans and if I go to war with you, it is probably less than I can pay for our debts. And if I stay alive, I will learn to fight for my homeland. And one more thing, itʼs a great honor for me, I know about the [PMC] "Wagner" only by hearsay, but I can become one of you,ʼʼ the company quotes Prygozhynʼs answer.
A prisoner of one of the Moscow colonies, 23-year-old Zambian citizen Lemehani Nathan Nyirenda died in Ukraine on September 22.
The Zambian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the man was a student at one of the Moscow universities, but in April 2020 he received 9.5 years of imprisonment. For what exactly — they did not say in Zambia.
On November 15, the Zambian government asked Russia to immediately provide information on how a citizen of their country, who was in prison in Moscow, was recruited and sent to the war against Ukraine.
- The Russian publication "Verstka" wrote that the "Private Military Company of Wagner" recruited at least one and a half thousand prisoners in Russian colonies to participate in the war against Ukraine.
- The Main Directorate of Ukrainian Intelligence confirms that due to significant losses in the war with Ukraine and the lack of people willing to fight, Russia is recruiting new recruits in places of deprivation of liberty. All of them are promised amnesty after half a year of "service".
- The leader of the Wagnerites, Prigozhin, was spotted several times in Ukraine, in particular in Popasna, where Ukrainian HIMARS destroyed a mercenary base in August. In addition, the beauty travels around colonies and prisons, where she agitates prisoners to join the Communist Party.
- The British law firm McCue Jury & Partners, on behalf of the injured Ukrainians, is filing a lawsuit in the High Court of London against the PMC Wagner and its founder Yevgeniy Prygozhyn.