Wagner chief 'frees' convicts who fought in Ukraine

The founder of the Russian Wagner private military company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, brought a group of former fighters who completed their service in Ukraine to the Republic of Karelia in Russia's north-west, Prigozhin's press service reported on Tuesday (January 17). Addressing them, he said that while he had needed their criminal talents to kill the enemy in Ukraine, those talents are no longer needed - giving them free rein to rejoin his Wagner private military company or else go and live their lives.