The Russian mercenary group Wagner has resumed recruiting fighters and is now being headed by Yevgeny Prigozhin’s son Pavel, Russian media reported.
The development was confirmed by 59.RU news outlet on Tuesday (Oct 31), which cited a representative of Wagner in Perm city.
Another Russian outlet NGS.RU, citing a source in the mercenary organisation’s local branch, also reported on Wednesday that Wagner has started hiring fighters.
However, this outlet did not mention Pavel assuming the charge.
The local media reported that recruitment currently taking place in the country’s Perm and Novosibirsk regions.
The reports claimed to have spotted recruitment posters in Wagner’s Perm office on VKontakte, and on Telegram, listing several requirements for prospective recruits.
Starts mass hiring again
In posts titled “We’re coming back,” they said that the hopeful joiners need to have a Russian passport for operations outside the country, records of their families and close relatives, and vaccination certificates.
“The emblems and symbols remain the same. We recruit those who already have combat experience, including those who already worked for the PMC (private military company). The only difference is that we hire only free people, not from prisons,” a local Wagner representative told news site 59.RU.
According to some reports, after the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin in an air crash in August 2023, his son 25-year-old Pavel took over the leadership and assumed command of remnants of Wagner.
Speculations were rife over successor of Wagner
For several months, speculations were rife among the Russian military bloggers over who would be the successor of the Wagner Group.
The hint came from a Telegram channel affiliated with Wagner, Prigozhin 2023, which has been touting Pavel as the organisation’s future leader, reports Business Insider.
There were reports that the Russian Defence Ministry would take over Wagner’s men and resources, with Western intelligence officials telling The New York Times in August that the ministry is trying to restructure the mercenary company.
The Defence Ministry has also established other private military companies to recruit Wagner’s men, particularly in Africa or the Middle East, the Institute for the Study of War, a US-based think tank, said.
(With inputs from agencies)
