AFP has reported that Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has taken a step in recruitment efforts for his mercenary group Wagner PMC by opening up centers for recruitment of contracted fighters in 42 Russian cities.
This comes as Prigozhin recently released a video in which he says he intends to “reboot” Wagner PMC to become ideological oriented after Russian forces take Bakhmut City as fighters push into the city prominently defended by Ukrainian forces for many months now.
According to him Wagner should transition from a private company into an army with an “ideology”, where there should be a struggle for “justice”.
“Surely we will take Artyomovsk. After that, we will slowly start to reboot, decrease, and then we will move to the stage and start recruiting people in different regions. And Wagner PMC should turn from just a private company, the best in the world, I emphasize, an army that is capable of defending the state. It will turn into an army with an ideology, and this is an ideology, just a struggle for justice,”
Ammunition problems in both Wagner ranks and Russian military forces have been highlighted by Prigozhin as he positions himself against military command aligned with his political opponent Defense Minister Shoigu.
