Wagner's PMC recruits gamers, and Russian Ministry of Defense sends cadets to Ukraine border — ISW 

This is written by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

In response to significant losses in Ukraine, the Wagner Group is expanding its pool of personnel. On June 19, the Russian opposition publication Verstka reported that Wagner’s recruiters were seeking individuals aged 21 to 35 with a gaming background to join as UAV specialists. Military experience is not required for these recruits, as noted by the publication.

Ukrainian Intelligence released an audio recording on June 18, where a Russian soldier and his companion discuss resuming Wagner's recruitment efforts due to the substantial losses experienced on the Ukrainian battlefield.

The Wagner Group's new recruitment campaign highlights training with skilled instructors, health and life insurance, advanced equipment, and assurances of receiving all promised benefits. Analysts point out that the Russian military leadership continues to rely on cadets from Russian military academies to enhance security in border regions.

On June 19, the Center of National Resistance announced that cadets from the St. Petersburg Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy's third and fourth courses will soon be deployed to the border regions after receiving training with mortars and other artillery systems. The center mentioned a shortage of Russian personnel guarding the border areas, and deploying recently graduated cadets from the military academy aims to address this gap.

• Earlier, the GUR published an intercepted conversation in which an occupier discussed heavy losses in the Wagner PMC. According to him, KAMAZ trucks transport the bodies of deceased Wagner members daily.