Sponsor of the Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin said that the prisoners who voluntarily collaborated with the Wagnerites in Ukraine received a pardon. As suggested by the Institute for the Study of War - probably in order to increase their influence and political power. Russian state media reported that Prigozhin told reporters that two dozen former prisoners had completed six-month contracts and received pardons..

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Russian sources released footage of Prigozhin holding a ceremony for Wagner PMC personnel at a rehabilitation center in Anapa, Krasnodar Territory, during which he awards former prisoners with state medals and pardon documents..

ISW did not notice a single official Russian government source who would comment on the situation as to whether the personnel of PMC " According to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and Article 89 of their constitution, only the president can pardon an individual, although regional pardon commissions and individuals can apply to him with a request to pardon specific individuals..

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Release or mitigation of imprisonment.

It is possible that Prigozhin filed a petition for pardon for former prisoners on their behalf.. It is also possible that Prigozhin claims that the former prisoners received a pardon, although in fact the Russian court or the State Duma could grant them release from punishment (mitigation of imprisonment and / or other criminal punishment). Russia amnestied former prisoners. ISW has not seen any official Russian sources reporting that a Russian court or the State Duma took any of these legal actions on behalf of these former prisoners, although it is possible that they did. Preliminary reports stated that the Wagner group promised the prisoners "

Possibly, Prigozhin uses the ambiguous legal status of these former prisoners to create the impression that he is powerful enough to obtain a pardon for the Wagner Group personnel.. It is likely that Prigozhin made public the release of the pardon documents to reflect this alleged influence in supporting ongoing efforts to portray himself as a central figure in the ultra-nationalist pro-war community.. Apparently, Prigozhin seems to want to arrogate to himself the powers that only Putin actually owns..

Prigozhin also likely promulgated the pardon in order to increase Wagner Group recruitment of prisoners and assuage possible worries of current Wagner Group personnel about promised legal rewards..

Of the 50,000 Wagnerites in Ukraine, 40,000 were convicted.

On December 22, 2022, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that 50,000 representatives of the Wagner Group are now working in Ukraine, including 40,000 convicts recruited from Russian prisons..

Kirby reported that more than 1,000 Wagnerists had died in Ukraine in a month, and Russian opposition publication The Insider reported on November 5 that 500 former prisoners who were Wagner group volunteers had died in Ukraine in two months..

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The Wagner Group likely needs to replenish its forces after heavy losses, mostly former prisoners, and Prigozhin may have released an alleged pardon to bolster the Wagner Group's recruitment campaign in Russian prisons.. Prigozhin also allegedly issued a pardon to appease a reported 80 percent of the Wagner group in Ukraine, who were promised some legal reward for participating in hostilities.. Prigozhin increasingly tied his position in Russia's ultra-nationalist pro-war community to the Wagner group's ability to seize territory and, in particular, its advance on Bakhmut..