Wagner Group Recruiting Again With Prigozhin’s Son in Lead Role: Reports

Russian private military company (PMC) Wagner Group has reportedly resumed recruitment under the direction of Pavel Prigozhin, son of late Wagner chief Yevgeni Prigozhin, according to reports.

The recruitment efforts have launched in the cities of Perm and Novosibirsk, according to Russian broadcast channels 59.RU and NGS, and the PMC is now reportedly acting as an arm of the Russian National Guard. Telegram channels connected to Wagner previously reported that Pavel Prigozhin had taken over the PMC’s elite unit, with the intention of returning to fight in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Channel 59.RU pointed to a post on Telegram by Wagner’s office in Perm, which reportedly said that the PMC “needs the desperate and the brave, the best of the best.” A representative of the Perm office also confirmed to the channel that recruitment had begun.

NGS also cited sources within Wagner’s Novosibirsk office, although the representative for the PMC was unnamed. According to the report, Wagner is only looking to recruit civilians who do not hold a criminal record—the PMC previously offered mercenary positions to prisoners.

“We are making a deal not with the Ministry of Defense, but with the Russian National Guard, so long as we don’t accept those with criminal records or those who are sick,” the Wagner representative told NGS.

Russian news site Military Review also reported on Sunday that Wagner had struck a deal to reenter the fight against Ukraine as a division of the Russian National Guard, citing sources familiar with the manueverings. Recruitment is reportedly open to those who previously served in combat or mercenary roles, along with new, physically healthy recruits age 20 to 55.

Newsweek was unable to independently confirm the reports. An email has been sent to the Kremlin’s press service for comment Wednesday afternoon.

This is a developing story and will be updated as further information becomes available.