Russia sends about 40,000 inmates to war against Ukraine

The Hill reports with reference to a statement by coordinator of the US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, John Kirby.

In particular, according to the US estimates, Wagner's PMC forces in Ukraine currently number 50,000 mercenaries, of which 10,000 are "contract servicemen", and remaining 40,000 are convicts, and their numbers can be even higher..

According to Kirby, founder of PMC Wagner Prigozhin and those connected to him are recruiting convicts in Russian prisons to participate in hostilities in Ukraine, because other ways of recruitment are not so successful. Some of the inmates recruited as mercenaries have "serious medical problems," he added.

The White House estimates that Prigozhin spends more than USD 100 million a month to finance operations of Wagner Group in Ukraine, and his "private army" fights alongside Russian troops.

“It’s pretty apparent to us that Wagner is emerging as a rival power center to the Russian military and other Russian ministries,” Kirby said.

Also, the White House believes that Wagner PMC, which is participating in war in Ukraine, accepted a shipment of weapons from North Korea last month. North Korea called these claims false.

• On December 16, the US Senate approved the defense budget, which provides $800 million for Ukraine.