(NewsNation) — Estimates say as many as 80,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or injured since the war in Ukraine started.
In video shot inside a Russian prison yard, men that have been locked up for decades are being given a chance at freedom. According to facial recognition software, a man named Yevgeniy Prigozhin is seen standing in front of a group of prisoners, offering them a deal of a lifetime, BBC reported.
They were given exactly five minutes to make their choice: stay in prison or go to war for Russia.
One of Putin’s closest confidants, Prigozhin is wanted by the FBI for election interference. And he’s also known as Putin’s former chef.
For years, he’s been known as the leader of a dangerous group of mercenaries called the Wagner Group, also known as soldiers for hire.
Putin hires them to fight in Libya, Syria, and parts of Africa, though he has denied all of this.