Video reveals how Russian mercenaries recruit inmates for Ukraine war

In a video that emerged Tuesday, the de facto leader of a Russian mercenary outfit known as the Wagner Group is seen promising convicts release from prison in return for a six-month combat tour in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The man in the footage appears to be Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian businessman and close associate of President Vladimir Putin who is rarely seen in public, much less touting his connections to the group so explicitly.