A fifth of Russian prisoners recruited to fight in Ukraine are HIV positive, with convicts promised anti-viral drugs if they agreed to fight: report

Fri, 04/21/2023 - 10:38

Russian captured soldiers — Russian soldiers, captured during the Russia-Ukraine war, with their hands tied behind their back at a Ukrainian prison.
Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

A fifth of recruits in Russian prisoner units are HIV positive, says Ukraine, per The New York TImes.
Prisoners were recruited to join the Wagner Group in Ukraine with promises of anti-viral medication.
Captured soldiers said they agreed because Russian prisons deprived them of effective HIV treatment.

About a fifth of recruits sent to fight in Ukraine from Russian prisons are HIV positive, according to estimates by Ukrainian authorities, with several captured Russian soldiers telling The New York Times they were promised life-saving anti-viral medications if they agreed to fight.