The private military company (PMC) «Wagner» began fighting in Ukraine in 2014, supporting the self-proclaimed «Luhansk People’s Republic» (LPR) and «Donetsk People’s Republic» (DPR). In the early stages of the conflict, «Wagner» mercenaries were involved in battles for key locations, such as the Luhansk airport. The «Wagnerites» claimed to serve as «instructors» and «advisors» to pro-Russian forces. After the beginning of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, the BBC Russian Service reported on the widespread recruitment of mercenaries by the «Wagner» PMC at the Molokino training ground near Krasnodar. It was noted that residents of the DNR, LNR, and annexed Crimea were participating in the recruitment. According to journalist sources, the restrictions and requirements for candidates in the PMC were significantly eased: debts to the Federal Bailiff Service, lack of criminal records, or an international passport were no longer obstacles. In the summer of the previous year, the «Wagner» PMC began recruiting individuals in correctional facilities, and the head of the company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, personally came to encourage people to join the fighting.
Executive director of the «Russia Behind Bars» movement, Olga Romanova, recalls how inmates and their relatives initially perceived the chief «Wagnerite» when he began recruiting prisoners. Initially, they referred to him as simply to «a dick from the downhill,» and human rights activists didn’t quite believe that Prigozhin visited prisons personally: «At first, we didn’t believe at all that Prigozhin flies to the zones and recruits people himself. When people in the penitentiaries talked about this, it was like, ‘Yeah, right.’ Prigozhin is Putin’s favorite, a wealthy man. Why would he personally go to prisons? However later people who knew exactly who he was and what he had done began calling and saying, ‘You know, yes, it’s definitely Prigozhin.’ And it sounded ominous,» Olga Romanova recounts.
Over the past year, the news feed has been filled with articles and videos documenting human rights violations and methods employed by the «Wagner» PMC: extrajudicial executions, harsh treatment of prisoners of war. In one way or another, the «Wagner» PMC has influenced the political situation in Russia. The candid statements and actions of Yevgeny Prigozhin are discussed and criticized. Prigozhin’s use of strong language towards the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, and the Russian Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, has become an internet meme. This was followed by an attempted military mutiny in June 2023, which Yevgeny Prigozhin later explained with a single word: «Lost it.» This scene is organically complemented by the death of the head of «Wagner» in August 2023, which has given rise to new conspiracy theories. For some, Prigozhin is a hero, a determined military leader, and a protector of his fighters. For others, he is a war criminal and a pathological sadist.
For inmates, Yevgeny Prigozhin is «our guy» and «one of our men,» asserts Olga Romanova. One of the main enemies of an inmate is a prison officer. Yevgeny Prigozhin, having spent many years in prison himself, understood this very well. He would visit prisons, kick prison officers out of their offices, delve into personal files, and take inmates away. According to Olga Romanova, all of this, combined with an image of an «experienced» inmate, quickly made him a «man of the people» in the eyes of prisoners: «Then conversations started at the front lines. There were stories from the inmates that we were sitting there in a bunker in the evening, and suddenly Prigozhin comes in and puts a bottle of cognac. This bottle of cognac was also passed from mouth to mouth, which lead me to conclude that it was cognac indeed. Because if they were making it up, they could have made up anything, but this was cognac that many of them were drinking for the first time in their lives. It was his. He comes, he’s a wealthy man, they called him an oligarch, but he sits with us in a down-to-earth manner. The fact that he’s wealthy, he could… no, he’s also on the front lines,» Olga Romanova narrates.
«Protokol» decided to study the stories of those whose lives have been affected by the war in Ukraine and the «Wagner» private military company (PMC). Since January 2023, we have been monitoring an open Telegram chat of «Wagner» fighters’ relatives, reading and listening to their messages. This material was primarily based on voice message transcripts. Later, we reached out to the women who sent their messages to the chat. Only three out of fourteen responded to our questions.
“They didn’t expect such a hell. Each of them hoped to come back”
While the «Wagner» PMC is involved in the war in Ukraine, the close relatives of the fighters face various issues when their loved ones are deployed there. These relatives seek ways to communicate and find support. One of such methods is the Telegram chat, where they share their experiences, seek mutual understanding, and support from other participants. Interacting in the chat allows them to discuss their anxieties and attempt to find answers to questions related to the presence of their loved ones in the war.
In the chat, you can often come across personal stories of women, mothers, and sisters whose relatives were recruited in prisons. In February, one woman shared that she had been arguing with her husband for three months, even to the point of threats of divorce. She didn’t understand his decision to go to war. Her husband, previously convicted and unable to serve in the military through conscription, explained to her that he didn’t want to be like his brothers who were evading the draft, even though they had the opportunity to defend their country. That’s why he joined the «Wagner» PMC. Eventually, the woman decided to support her husband, despite having five children, and now believes in his safe return.
«In the end, I supported him and believe in him, and I know he will return home alive and well. If a man has made up his mind… Finally, I supported him and said, ‘Everything will be fine, I love you, I’ll wait for you at home, and I believe in you.’ And now, I believe in him, supporting him as best I can.» According to this woman, her husband told her that if he enjoys being on the front, they will move to Krasnodar to be closer to home. When asked by the «Protokol» correspondent about the current situation, the woman responded, «I’m sorry, I’m really not ready to talk about it. It’s a very difficult situation. Not everyone, I guess, is ready to talk about it. Please forgive me. I just know one thing: my husband loves our country, he is a patriot, and I am proud of him. He is our hero. We are proud of him and believe in him».
According to the mother of another «Wagner» fighter, her son had a short sentence left to serve, and then he was supposed to return home. However, her son was persistent and signed a contract with the «Wagner» PMC, explaining that it was his duty as a serviceman: «I said, ‘Where are you going?’ And he said, ‘To Ukraine.’ I said, ‘Are they forcing you to go there?’ He said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘Don’t ever sign any documents like that again.’ He said, ‘But I filled out an application.’ I said, ‘You’re a complete fool… Did you even think about what I’d go through?’ He said, ‘It’s all good, Mom. I’m a serviceman, and I have to go defend the homeland.'»
The husband of a friend of this woman went to the front as a volunteer when they announced conscription. He decided to serve because it was his dream, and he had never served in the military before. His wife only found out about this when he was about to be sent to serve: «So she yelled and cursed, the children, a son and a daughter, came, trying to persuade their dad. He said, ‘No. I’m going to serve. It’s my dream.’ And she said, ‘I offered him. It’s not too late. Reject it. You’re not even conscripted, you don’t even have a military ID.’ But he said, ‘I can’t. I’ve taken an oath.'»
Another woman tells the story of how her husband became a member of the «Wagner» PMC due to a shelling at the border. According to the woman, in April in Bryansk region, after a shelling from the Ukrainian side, schools were temporarily closed, and children were being transported to another district for classes. However, even there, the children were in danger due to drone attacks. This event was decisive for her husband, and he joined the «Wagner» PMC. She supported him, believing that people like him were needed to prevent the situation from worsening: «Thank God, my husband calls once a week, and that’s good. Although I worry and get upset, sometimes I lose control, scream, and cry, but we have a little time left, just two more months, and he’ll be home. Even though he said, ‘I’ll come home, rest for a month, and then I’ll go again.’ If he says that, I’ll drag him out by his feet. I won’t let him go for a second time.»
Not everyone shares this perspective. One woman in February shared that her husband volunteered for the «Wagner» PMC after the beginning of conscription. Initially, she didn’t believe that he would be called up, thinking that there had already been enough servicemen. However when the «Wagner» PMC came to the prison where he was serving, her husband was afraid to tell her that he had signed a contract. Nevertheless, the woman expressed her readiness for her children to serve in the future if necessary: «They should, the men, protect us, the mothers. Damn, when my child grows up, he should go if the situation requires it. That’s for sure. It’s not us, the women, who should go, right? The most important thing is that we support them.» This is a common sense among the close relatives of «Wagner» fighters. Here’s part of another message from a relative that appeared in the chat a month later, in March: «I also have a son. And maybe in the future, when there’s a war, he’ll go too, I won’t do anything about it, girls. Because they are our defenders, don’t you understand? And those who don’t go, who hide, what do they want? Let them get out of the country.» One of the women in January left a message in which she expressed disappointment in the current generation because they perceive military service differently than previous generations: «Our grandfathers didn’t wait for draft notices; they stood up and went, unafraid of death, unafraid of anything. And here they change their place of residence, my God, they flee the country. What a nightmare.»
Based on the messages in the chat, it’s clear that women are not only prepared for their children to potentially go to war in the future, but they also justify the participation of their husbands and brothers.
One participant in the chat reflects, «It’s understandable that it tugs at the heart. Every day I pray, and sometimes, of course, thoughts come, ‘Why?’ ‘What for?'» She goes on to say, «But then another thought: ‘What if the enemy comes here, to our home? Will we also hide behind our men’s skirts?’ No, these are no longer just guys, not just men. Then, we can really dress them in skirts and let them dance with us.»
In the same message, a woman talks about her husband who went to fight as a volunteer but received a minor shrapnel injury and was sent home for treatment. Despite having the option to stay in the hospital, he decided to return to the front. The woman is proud of her husband and his decision. She has doubts and worries, but she believes that if the men stays at home, there would be no one to protect them if «the enemy comes.»
Not all chat participants share such patriotic views. Many of them, if not expressing opposition to Vladimir Putin’s policies, raise questions: «It all seems very scary and terrible to me. I just don’t understand why all of this was necessary. I mean, I understand the conscripts, they were called up, it’s all understandable. But when convicts and these ‘Wagner’ PMC people went… I really don’t understand why. Why did they go there?» one woman said in January.
Another relative says she couldn’t find reliable information about the «Wagner» PMC, expressed outrage at the lack of communication, and was horrified by the images from the war broadcast on state television: «They say they’ll get paid on the 20th of each month. Do we really need such a salary, girls, at the cost of their blood? Maybe he’ll come back in a zinc box or without a leg. It would have been better to just sit there. That’s what I personally think.»
In April, another woman stated that the government was not considering the interests of the military and their families. She believes that authorities should be more responsible and care for their citizens, including those involved in military operations: «We have Putin taking immediate measures to rebuild homes in Mariupol. He goes, he assesses the situation. And I think, ‘So our guys are completely unwanted.’ We have more important matters. Now, in the cities where the blood of our loved ones was shed, we will rebuild, where the air is saturated with blood. That’s what our government is busy with now.» When asked if her attitude toward the authorities has changed, the woman replied, «Don’t keep an eye on me. Find another victim.»
In addition to complaining about the challenges of daily life and hoping that their husbands «return alive and well,» there is a constant discussion about payments to the fighters for their participation in the war in the chat. Chat participants emphasize that money is not important to them, or they replace the words «payments» and «money» with the word «rewards.» For example, one chat participant in January 2023 says, «It’s not about the money. Well, if it’s due, they should be paid. Of course, for all of us, it’s more important that they come back healthy and stay close. But if they promise to pay, then please do pay. I hope that everyone will soon receive the long-awaited payments because they are not superfluous to any of us. We all have our own problems, expenses, children, and other obligations, and in general, they are never superfluous. And the fighters will return; they also need some financial security.»
Another woman, in addition to mentioning the «Wagner» PMC, also refers to the Ministry of Defense, claiming that it is impossible to get «any compensation from the ministry, only after six months.»
Anthropologist Alexandra Arkhipova believes that this behavior of women may be due to the heavy social contract. Early marriage and pregnancy, which society and relatives demand, create a heavy burden, especially when the husband is incarcerated and contributes nothing but expenses, leading to a generally depressing life in Russian regions. This situation makes it necessary for women to seek approval for their men’s participation in the war. Arkhipova says, «Here it turns out to be an opportunity to sign such a good contract, and this burden turns into a profitable item. But no one likes accusations of being mercenary. So, people will always say that they are doing this for higher purposes, not just because they were offered money. This is generally a characteristic of human nature. If a person says that they went to work there because they were offered more, it often looks very mercenary and often unpleasant. People try to hide it. Therefore, this new social contract is being tried to be hidden and closed with statements like that these are rewards for our heroes, without fail. They are not just soldiers or combatants; they are heroes. They are often called that.»
Discussions about payments often lead to accusations of misinformation and bureaucracy on the part of PMC employees. For example, one chat participant in February says, «In short, girls, they do whatever they want. They don’t pay anyone anything. These are just empty talkers. So much time has passed since that moment, and I still can’t figure out the truth about all of this. I don’t even care about this money; they can’t even return any rewards to me, absolutely nothing.» Before publishing, we asked this woman if the situation had changed: «The situation hasn’t changed. I haven’t received anything,» she replied.
Human rights activist Olga Romanova claims that Evgeny Prigozhin did not pay money to everyone and not always. More often than not, money did not reach, for example, the relatives of people from Central Asia. The main «Wagner» members earned their income from orphans and people with no social connections. Payments were usually received by those who could personally reach out to «Wagner» — relatives of mercenaries from central Russia. Romanova says, «There were enough sources where you could make money, and he did make them. That’s why he paid five million for the deceased and for the wounded of those he could reach and who approached him. He did, why not? He didn’t shy away from this, unlike the Ministry of Defense, which now shies away from all parameters. And, of course, relatives received money on cards. It’s pretty cool. If you don’t have relatives, then the money stays on your card somewhere. If you stay alive, you come and get this card, or you receive your money and go to the canteens. Or you write that they should pay your mother or your wife. She receives the money on her card, and, of course, she prays to Evgeny Prigozhin. Because suddenly your son or husband, who was only demanding money for his upkeep while in prison, began to bring in a lot of money. Thank you, Uncle Zhenya Prigozhin. He’s our guy.»
In August, six months after these messages and almost a month after Evgeny Prigozhin’s uprising, a message appeared in the chat of relatives of «Wagner’s» mercenaries stating that «the company’s management has decided to suspend the issuance and sending of certificates of participation in the special military operation for the families of the deceased» These certificates were necessary for various benefits. The suspension of their issuance occurred because employees had «more important and priority tasks.»
In the spring, chat participants increasingly express their disappointment in what’s happening. In April, one of them shares a story about her son, who also went to war without telling her anything: «And actually, I only understand now, they didn’t expect it to be such hell. Each of them hoped to return. They didn’t think it would be like this. Honestly, I also thought that this war wouldn’t last this long. And it just keeps getting worse and worse. Maybe I’m comforting myself by thinking that my son went to war for his mother; I don’t know, maybe it’ll be easier for me to deal with it this way. But during the Great Patriotic War, it was different. Personally, for me, it’s like this. Not now, in the 21st century. It’s madness.»
Another woman questions why her loved one went to war and died. In her opinion, in reality, only the «Wagnerites» are fighting: «Why the hell did he go there?! What did he die for? For what? For nothing? Just so they would say he was a hero for two minutes, and then they don’t even know who he was? It’s not about someone saying he was a hero, but it’s about the situation itself. In reality, only our people are fighting there and only our people are breaking through the defense, and there’s not a word about them, nothing. Absolutely nothing. That’s what’s infuriating.»
“While I was away on business, he drank all the cologne”
Soldiers often return home with psychological trauma, leading to erratic behavior: «Girls, everyone’s psyche is different,» says one chat participant in February. «For example, after his second contract, my husband came home and drank a lot of alcohol just to sleep peacefully so he wouldn’t have to be on edge every time, because war takes its toll.» Another chat participant shares that her acquaintances left for war from prison and returned home six months later. In her opinion, every other one of them signs a new contract: «Many of those who get deeply involved in this find it hard to move on when times are peaceful. It’s easier for them to go back than to continue living.»
Human rights activist Olga Romanova believes that a person who has been traumatized by both the military and prison has three paths: to drink themselves to death or die from a drug overdose, end up back in prison for a particularly serious crime, or return to war. She says, «Remember how we were all afraid when it turned out that the best universities in the country would admit special operation veterans without exams? That the convicts will now flock to MGIMO and other universities and become philologists, diplomats, and so on. How many of them were admitted there without exams? None. No one wants to study. Why? No one wants to work. Why? Why work when you can do this. No one is accustomed to working. People are not accustomed to doing any of this. All they want is to be happy, and they were happy there, in the war. That male camaraderie again. No one needs them here. They can’t get a job again, nothing. But there, it was good.»
In April, one woman shares that she’s waiting for her brother to return from the war. She fears that the war will change his mental state: «I really, really, really want him to come back,» she says. «And then we’ll think, we’ll look, we’ll search for some clinics, psychological centers. I only rely on the Lord in this situation, only on His help, only on His support, because otherwise, I won’t be able to cope alone.»
In May, «Protocol» drew attention to the story of a woman whose relative repeatedly ended up behind bars, according to her, «for stupidity,» and was released after going through the Wagner PMC and fighting in Ukraine. When he returned, he started drinking heavily: «There hasn’t been a single peaceful night. It seemed like he was recovering. That’s it. All the alcohol was hidden, all of it. While I was away on my business, he drank all the cologne. ‘I drank, I’m drinking, and I’ll keep drinking. And none of you will say anything to me.’ But in reality, as I say: he’s running, he’s shooting, he’s taking cover from grenades. I was hoping until the last moment that he would change. He saw a lot there. He never left the front, in principle, for the entire period.» She mentioned that she called a psychiatrist for the man, but the doctor said everything was fine and advised her to see a narcologist. It’s unknown whether she sought help from this doctor.
«Now we try not to let him go too far away,» the woman says. «We run after him. We go get him. We’re running around like he’s a little baby. Just so the cops don’t take him anywhere.»
“What should I do? Should I sit and wait until they call and say, ‘Your son is dead’?”
Chat participants exchange all possible sources of information, including news articles, social media, messages from other relatives and acquaintances. They analyze any information they can find to understand what is happening and where their loved ones are. One way to confirm whether a relative is alive is to receive their salary: «It’s just this uncertainty, all this secrecy,» says one woman. «You know, I’m fed up with it. Even though I don’t need that salary at all, I’m a pensioner, and I have enough for everything. But still, I know; if I receive their salary, that means they’re alive.» This same woman also criticizes the widespread secrecy: «Everywhere now, no matter where I turn, it’s ‘classified information.’ Why is this information classified when they show it in the media, they talk about it in the media? What kind of classified information is this?» She’s frustrated with the «radio silence,» as she calls it, and says she «has no strength left.» Another chat participant wonders, «What should I do? Should I sit and wait until they call and say, ‘Your son is dead’?»
Despite the limitations and the lack of clear information, the fighters’ relatives are developing their own strategies. Initially, they simply voiced ideas that would help improve communication with their loved ones: «They just needed to create a hotline. It would have been easier for them, there would have been less fuss, less of these silly rumors. Relatives could have called to find out something at least. At least trusted individuals». Another chat participant supports this idea, emphasizing that there is no communication with representatives of the Wagner PMC: «No contact numbers, no phones, no hotline where you can ask questions».
Later, the first woman suggests the need to organize a movement that would engage in collecting signatures, appealing to the authorities, and other activities. She says, «Well, should we organize some kind of movement? We already have so many people here. Maybe someone else will join. 30, 39, or 40 people – that’s quite a number». Her goal is to reach the leadership of the Wagner PMC, «so that at least not every day, at least once every two weeks, we can hear the voice of our loved ones».
In a well-known video released in early May, Evgeny Prigozhin shouts angrily, «Shoigu, Gerasimov! Where the hell is the ammunition?» For several months, one of the key topics for discussion in the chat was the issue of ammunition shortages and the lack of necessary equipment for the fighters. In February, one chat participant suggested starting a fundraiser for entrenching shovels and other equipment that the Wagner PMC fighters lack.
«Oh, girls,» says another woman, «should we maybe organize our own PMC? A women’s battalion, and onward? We’ll also demand weapons and ammunition»
«Wait, I’ve run out of money. Now I have to wait for my husband’s salary,» another relative of a Wagner fighter quips. «Stock up on moonshine, not 40-proof, but around 80 proof, and you can go forward bravely. We don’t need grenades; we’ll knock them out with bottles».
In February, one of the chat participants put forward a conspiracy theory, trying to justify the government’s actions. She believes that talk of an «ammunition shortage» might be a state strategy. The woman thinks it might be necessary to make the «enemy» believe that they are in a dire situation: «Why do people always think negatively? What if it’s some kind of strategy to make the enemy think that we’re in bad shape and weakened. Have you ever thought about that?»
However, the majority criticizes Russia’s military leadership for unwarranted «grudges» against Prigozhin. In March, one woman wrote that, according to her information, even the Ministry of Defense lacks ammunition: «The Ministry of Defense, soldiers, they don’t shout it from the rooftops, but Prigozhin, he’s great, he’s telling it like it is. Are they salting them, or breeding them, or incubating these ammunition to make them multiply? What’s going on? Are they storing them somewhere and waiting? What are they waiting .for? I don’t understand. I wish I could find a somewhat more or less logical explanation»
«In principle, a women’s revolt is the only revolt possible in today’s Russia,» says Olga Romanova. «And yet, notice that it’s almost happened. Remember that association, quite strange, of wives and mothers of those mobilized, which went against the officially appointed mothers and wives of the mobilized. They were quickly labeled as foreign agents and quickly crushed, but they did shine brightly. A women’s revolt will inevitably develop in one way or another».
“I want to look Putin in the eyes and say, ‘Did you give me something when you took away the most precious thing in my life?’”
Relatives of the Wagner PMC fighters constantly discuss the war and the government’s actions. Some express frustration and accusations towards the authorities, noting problems in providing for the military and offering assistance to those affected. One of the chat participants says in January, «So now, you can just leave a person homeless, if needed. Well, it’s the kind of country we have. You can send crowds of men to the front lines straight from prison». Another woman in February wonders why Russia hasn’t declared a state of war yet, «It’s long past time to declare a state of war. I don’t understand what’s going on…»
In March, one of the chat participants said that she used to live peacefully in Russia, «no shells were flying, there was no war here at all». Ukrainians, according to her, didn’t bother her, didn’t beat her, and drones didn’t fly over her. She believes that defending the country would be necessary if someone attacked it: «But what our husbands-soldiers are dying for there, for whom it’s not clear, that’s just crazy. They should go and fight among themselves. We didn’t need these lands; the DPR, who are they… LPR… They asked them in the voting if they wanted to join us, but they never asked if we needed them here at all».
Another woman in March said that she didn’t like to use clichés like «disposable materials,» «cannon fodder,» or «they push them forward» regarding the attitude towards rank-and-file Wagner PMC fighters, but she believed that’s what it was. She thinks that at the time they were needed, they were told about the amnesty and lured them in. After that, says the woman, nobody needs anyone anymore: «After all, it turns out that nobody needs anybody. In principle, in our country, nobody needs anyone, which is very sad. With such enormous resources, we live almost in poverty, if not beyond.»
In April, the mother of a Wagner PMC fighter talked about how she raised her son alone, working two jobs to provide him with the necessities, and never sought government assistance. She reproaches the government for taking her child to war and for caring more about foreign citizens. She’s dissatisfied that the news in the media often doesn’t reflect the real situation in the country: «Everyone has already figured out where the wind is blowing from and what’s happening in our country. It’s a pity; I haven’t asked for a single penny from your state. Yet, you took away the most precious thing from me, my son, and with it, my soul and my heart. I’m going to ask every single day, in the air, the state: why do we have it this way and not another way?» The same woman is indignant that the Wagner PMC doesn’t have a clear legal status, and how «in the second round, they drag the boys into this hell» and calls the state a «nightmare».
«And who’s going to bring my son back?» protested one of the chat participants in May. «I didn’t need your Ukraine; I lived peacefully without it. I want you, bastards, to look us, mothers and wives, in the eyes and explain why we lost them? Is what you have not enough? You take everything. Let them burn in hell and choke on that money for what they, you bastards, do. They’ve ruined our children, our husbands. They’ve destroyed us, mothers, wives who are grieving, who don’t want to live. I want to look Putin in the eyes and say, ‘Did you give me something when you took away the most precious thing in my life?’ And pretending to be compassionate»
“Why are they badmouthing Prigozhin?”
The identity of Yevgeny Prigozhin and the characteristics of his company are subjects of discussion not only among the liberal public but also among the relatives of the Wagner PMC fighters. Some write that the head of the Wagner PMC stands out for his determination and defense of his fighters, fighting to the end. Others criticize Prigozhin and the company for decisions that lead to the deaths and injuries of Wagner PMC members. Many express their gratitude to Prigozhin for his help in granting clemency to their loved ones: «Why do they badmouth Prigozhin, who genuinely gave many guys who had nothing a chance to get out? Yes, the chance is high that not all will return, but it’s not right. He gave that opportunity that we couldn’t, and, in the end, our men had the courage, the bravery to go there so that they [enemies] wouldn’t come here to us,» said one of the women in January. Another chat participant criticizes the Ministry of Defense and praises Yevgeny Prigozhin, stating that he is a person with a capital «P». In February, one of the women said that Prigozhin is «sharp-tongued,» but in this case, there’s no other way to be.
Not everyone praises Prigozhin and his company. One woman says that she gets «goosebumps» from everything she read about the Wagner PMC. She claims that there are people who talk about how everything is great «on the surface» for those who wait for the Wagner PMC fighters at home. But, she asserts, the majority is «in shock just from what’s happening overall, with the organization and with this lack of communication.» Often, relatives doubt the reliability of the organization and the assistance it provides to the families of fighters: «They’ll pay big money only to those who kissed Prigozhin’s ass, but those who just took part in these battles and attacks, they’ll get nothing,» says one of the chat participants.
In November 2022, a video of the extrajudicial execution of former inmate Yevgeny Nuzhin with a sledgehammer appeared online. He was allegedly planning to switch to the Ukrainian side. This action did not receive approval from chat participants: «There are really tough conditions there. I saw a video on ‘Dzen’ [Russian social media] where a man, also from prison, was executed because he wanted to switch to the Ukrainian side. It’s a video with all that [cruelty]. It’s just terrifying,» said one of the women in January.
— Of course, he doesn’t care about it; it’s just his blood business. They go in as stormtroopers, and he doesn’t care, — says another chat participant.
Many of the relatives say that extrajudicial executions are common for the Wagner PMC: «I talked to my husband when he signed the contract; he told me the same thing, that they don’t surrender in captivity. Either you blow yourself up with a grenade, or they’ll kill you after captivity,» says one woman.
Olga Romanova believes that the sledgehammer execution slowed down the popularity of Yevgeny Prigozhin. This incident left an impression of fear, and recruitment into the Wagner PMC ceased. It was only resolved when Prigozhin began to release the prisoners, as promised. Nevertheless, extrajudicial executions were perceived as a necessity within the Wagner PMC: «Inside, these sledgehammers didn’t carry such horror and fear. It was just part of the game’s rules. These are the rules I follow. And there are other rules I follow, and then everything’s fine,» says Olga Romanova.
“They are unstable, everyone is brainwashed”
Chat participants discuss both Ukrainians in general and their relatives from Ukraine in particular. In February, one woman talked about her grandfather, who lived in Luhansk but moved to Russia when the full-scale invasion began. He was taking it very hard, especially because he had a sister in Kyiv. Her grandfather wanted to talk to her before his death, so he called her. However, she «spewed a bunch of nasty things» and hung up. She also stopped communicating with the woman herself: «Even though literally 3-4 years ago, we all met in Crimea. They are unstable there, everyone is brainwashed». Another chat participant talks about her son, who serves in the naval fleet, and he was sent to Ukraine. According to the woman, her father, who lives there, cursed both her and her son when the war started. She notes that they used to have a great relationship, and her father was proud of his grandson: «When we communicated before the special operation, you won’t believe it, he agreed with me, saying, ‘Yes, poor Donbas, people are dying there for no reason,’ and so on. But when the special operation began, we became villains for everyone».
Another chat participant mentions that her parents live in the Belgorod region, in the city of Shebekino, which is regularly shelled. Her father is originally from Ukraine, and «half of the relatives are in the Ukrainian Armed Forces». The woman claims that she’s familiar with all the family conflicts like, «Now you’re scum, now you’re aggressors». But her husband is fighting on the side of Russia: «And he is defending me and my son. Because I know for sure, if they don’t protect us now, they will come to our homes. Because they have gathered this gang from all over the world, all these bastards, excuse my Russian, and they will come to my house. I don’t want that».
“If they took out Prigozhin, it’s our side!!»”
On August 23, the internet was shaken by the news of the leader of the Wagner PMC, Evgeny Prigozhin, and his «right hand,» Dmitry Utkin, who died in the crash of a private jet in the Tver region. Opinions were divided into several camps. In the first hours, the most common reaction to the plane crash was hope that Evgeny Prigozhin was not among the passengers: «I hope he wasn’t on that plane 🙏,» one of the chat participants writes. Another woman writes that in February 2023, she was told that «her fighter» had died, but when she arrived in Molkino, where the PMC was based, it turned out to be a mistake: «I didn’t believe to the last moment that he would leave this life so early, and I was right! I want to believe that Prigozhin and Utkin are alive 🙏, I want to believe.»
«Now he is somewhere sitting and reading your comments, telling a half of Russia is stupid for burying me 😂😂😂😂,» they write in the chat.
Some chat participants wrote that the plane crash could be a staged death of Evgeny Prigozhin: «It’s all strange and too simple. I hope this is a staged death.»
Anthropologist Alexandra Arkhipova believes that disbelief in the death of the main «Wagnerite» is a consequence of several factors that need to be taken into account when studying people’s reactions to this event. One of these factors is the strength of the family metaphor in the circles of mercenaries and their relatives. Alexandra Arkhipova points out that people often bring postcards to spontaneous memorials dedicated to Evgeny Prigozhin, addressing him as «Uncle Zhenya»: «Agree that addressing an unknown person with ‘Uncle Zhenya’ from adults is very strange. ‘Uncle Zhenya’ is how a child addresses a family friend of the parents, or even a real uncle, or an adult acquaintance of the parents who is part of the family. The address ‘Uncle Zhenya’ is deliberately familial. To everyone, he is Evgeny Prigozhin, but to us, he is Uncle Zhenya». In the chat groups of mercenaries’ relatives, people often talk about «Wagner» as a family. For example, a husband joined the PMC and found a family, women united in chat groups and became a family: «Roughly speaking, it is such an archaic brotherhood. When we look at some brotherhoods, secret societies, there people often address each other with quasi-family terms. Hence ‘brother,’ ‘sister.’ Hence ‘brother’ as an address to a monk and so on,» says Alexandra Arkhipova.
Фото: НГС
Some people are concerned about the fate of the PMC: «What will happen to the PMC now 😰,» «If he’s really gone, what will happen to the Wagnerites?,» ask chat participants. Some express dissatisfaction with Evgeny Prigozhin: «Oh, how everyone worries about him, but they forgot about our children, whom he led to death without ammunition». One of the chat participants wishes Evgeny Prigozhin good health if he’s alive and «fair justice» if he died, «with all due respect and fierce hatred at the same time».
Most of the blame for Evgeny Prigozhin’s death is placed on Russian authorities: «The scoundrels shot him down. Who are our guys fighting for in Ukraine?! For Shoigu scum and his Putin puppet?! Our country is f***ed», say the relatives. Chat participants often write about their disappointment with the official state policies: «If this is true, faith in our ‘state’ will finally disappear…» Some call on war participants to return from the front: «Let all the guys from the front return home, there is no point in risking their lives for a country that no longer exists. There are traitors who betrayed the people, betrayed the country, violated their own oath.» Some even predict the «beginning of a new ‘Time of Troubles’».