Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin pardoned over 5,000 Wagner mercenaries who fought in Ukraine on Saturday.
Wagner Group, led by battle-hardened veterans, gained prominence in the Ukraine war after the Russian army suffered humiliating defeats last year.
Prigozhin emerged from the shadows and enlisted thousands of inmates to fight Ukraine’s most dangerous wars for liberation.
“At the current moment, more than 5,000 persons have been freed on pardon after concluding their contracts with Wagner,” Prigozhin, a major Putin loyalist, said in a Telegram audio clip.
Prigozhin said 0.31% of Wagner pardonees committed crimes, 10-20 times fewer than usual.
Prigozhin, nicknamed “Putin’s Chef” for his huge catering firms, heads a group of Putin pals that recruit senior military leaders, former spies, and criminals for private armies.
The U.S. sanctioned Prigozhin for meddling in U.S. elections and spreading Russian disinformation.
Before starting a business in the 1990s, Prigozhin acknowledged interfering in U.S. elections and forming Wagner.
Wagner claims to be the most battle-tested mercenary group, having fought in Libya, Syria, the Central African Republic, and Mali.
The U.S. and its allies’ employment of private military contractors justifies its harsh methods and strict discipline.
