Russian forces have suffered heavy casualties, along with retreating forces, which has led to Putin not only calling up reservists to fight, but prisoners in Russia. These prisoners have been promised freedom and potential rewards in return for a six month tour in Ukraine. Yevgeny Prigozhin has been the one recruiting these prisoners, often flying in on a helicopter and speaking to them about their duty to their country.

Prigozhin, a businessman who has operated in the private sector throughout his life, has been dubbed ‘Putin’s Chef’. This nickname was given to him for his founding and running of several restaurants, one of which Putin went to regularly. This slowly built up a relationship between the two, and Putin would give contracts to Prigozhin’s companies, allowing him to provide food for the Russian military and Russian schools. He was also given the opportunity to cater to important state events, such as the inaugurations of Medvedev and Putin. He has recently claimed that he founded the Wagner Group, an elusive private military company that has represented Russian interests abroad for years.

This group has had a major influence in other nations, such as their work in the Central African Republic (CAR) diamond mines. “Trainers” were deployed to CAR to help train the nation’s military in order to fight back against rebel groups. However, they have been found leading government forces in fights and committing human rights abuses. The Wagner Group is able to operate abroad on behalf of Russia, whether it be to simply assist in training a nation’s military, or to assist in espionage operations, it is able to do so. This puts distance between the Kremlin and the operation, making it easier for Putin to deny any responsibility. This relationship allows Prigozhin to be favored by Putin, and many consider him to be one of Putin’s close confidants.

Due to the heavy losses suffered by the Russian military in Ukraine, Wagner mercenaries have appeared alongside Russian soldiers in Ukraine. Intelligence sources from the U.S. and U.K. claim there are around 1,000 mercenaries operating in Ukraine. Many of these members are suspected of committing war crimes, such as the killing of innocent and unarmed civilians. Even though mercenary groups are illegal in Russia, Prigozhin has major influence in the Kremlin.