From Inmate to Soldier: An Ex-Wagner Mercenarys Harrowing Journey Through Russias War in Ukraine

**Alexander Platov was incarcerated for the murder of his wife when a surprising opportunity came his way. In 2022, he was enlisted by the Wagner mercenary group to participate in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in exchange for a pardon. Six months later, he regained his freedom.**

**Struggling to adjust to life outside prison, Platov signed a new contract with the Defense Ministry and returned to the front lines at the end of 2024. However, this time, he and his fellow ex-convicts were treated as disposable assets.**

**After surviving a suicide attack and suffering serious shrapnel injuries, Platov recounted his experiences to The Moscow Times.**

**While The Moscow Times could not independently verify all of Platov’s assertions, reporting from exiled outlets and various Russian and Ukrainian sources validated certain aspects of his story.**

**The Defense Ministry did not respond promptly to requests for comments from The Moscow Times.**

**»Life after release was tough. I’m a f***ing convict, and everyone knew about my criminal past. I also have a reputation for drinking. I thought I’d be celebrated as a hero for fighting in Ukraine, but instead, people viewed me as trash,» Platov, aged 35, expressed.**

**Born in the late 1980s to a struggling family in Ulyanovsk, a city along the Volga River, Platov first broke the law at age 17.**

**»I was incarcerated for car theft—eight years. Afterward, I got married, but she cheated on me, and I stabbed her. That led to another thirteen years. That’s how I ended up with Wagner,» he recounted.**

**In October 2022, Wagner’s leader Yevgeny Prigozhin arrived at the prison yard by helicopter to personally recruit inmates.**

**»We didn’t take him seriously at first,» said Platov. «I spoke back to him, and then the guards pulled me aside. Uncle Zhenya [Prigozhin] grabbed my ear and told me, ‘Join Wagner or rot here.’ In prison, inmates would do anything to escape. I joined for freedom; the pay was decent too, but I wanted to cleanse my sins with blood and sweat.»**

**Human rights advocate Yuri Borovskikh from the Russland hinter Gittern (Russia Behind Bars) organization stated that Prigozhin recruited roughly 50,000 inmates into Wagner during the invasion. Since the Defense Ministry took over inmate recruitment from Wagner in early 2023, they have registered over 100,000 prisoners, he added.**

**As a Wagner combatant, Platov led a reconnaissance unit in Bakhmut.**

**»I received a silver medal for bravery from Putin. Imagine that, given my two serious convictions. They granted me veteran status. Upon returning, I bought a house and found a job, but nobody respected me. People assumed I got out only to save myself and that I bought the medal. So, I went back to the draft office and signed another contract—claiming it was to ‘defend the Motherland’—or so I thought.»**

**Borovskikh noted that individuals like Platov endure layered trauma. Many re-offend, end up back in prison, and sign up for military service again.**

**After signing a contract with the Defense Ministry, Platov was deployed near the Ukrainian stronghold of Pokrovsk, leading a storm unit within the 110th Motor Rifle Brigade.**

**»The Defense Ministry treated us like disposable soldiers. On paper, we were part of the spetsnaz. In reality, they were sending ex-convicts and Chechen veterans. No retreats, no vacations. Maybe you’d get one in two years if they manage to find your remains,» he remarked.**

**Platov detailed that the treatment he described aligns with the current treatment of newly recruited convicts. According to Borovskikh, military contracts for prisoners now last until the end of the war, and the soldiers have virtually no rights.**

**»There are several penal battalions, like this brigade or Storm Z. Most members lack families. Their lives rest entirely in the hands of their commanders. Those with battlefield experience may be useful, but the rest? Just fodder for assaults,» Borovskikh stated.**

**Platov believes the 110th Brigade exists partly to “punish” former Wagner fighters.**

**»There are no real Wagner fighters here, just ex-cons—the leftovers. If the actual Wagner units returned from Africa or Belarus, Ukraine would face chaos. Russia would too,» he insisted. “We were only given rifles. Everything else, from underwear to helmets, we had to purchase ourselves. Our salaries, ranging from 210,000 to 250,000 rubles ($2,300 to $2,750), quickly got consumed by food and gear. You do what you must to survive.»**

**Platov reported no advancement near Pokrovsk. His initial mission involved capturing the village of Zelene Pole, which his unit succeeded in doing, followed by a rotation.**

**»They sent in reinforcements: naval infantry, contract soldiers from the Black Sea Fleet. That fleet doesn’t even exist anymore. Twenty-five ships sunk. One marine hadn’t held a rifle since his oath ceremony two decades ago. They told him he’d be guarding kindergartens in Donetsk,» he explained. “Instead, the marines were thrust into the frontline forests with only basic assault rifles and two magazines each. Shortly after arrival, an American Bradley fighting vehicle approached, opened fire from 200 meters, deployed infantry, and decimated the unit before retreating.»**

**»The Ukrainians didn’t even bother to occupy the position,» he added. «If they had realized how dire our situation was, they would have overrun all three of our lines.»**

**The platoon’s subsequent mission proved catastrophic for Platov’s comrades and nearly cost him his life as well. He blamed not the enemy but rather the incompetence and brutality of his own leadership.**

**The platoon was dropped 25 kilometers ahead of friendly positions near Ocheretyne, with no support and scant supplies.**

**»We were told to bring our own food and water. I led the assault group, but we never reached enemy lines,» he said.**

**Three stayed behind for communication. The remainder advanced and were unraveled.**

**»Command told us, ‘Move forward; we’ve got a drone guiding you.’ I replied, ‘Which f***ing drone? There are three enemy drones to our right and two to the left. Are you insane?’ They responded, ‘If you don’t move right f***ing now, our own kamikaze drone will hit your trench.’ So we charged ahead. We didn’t even get to the contact line before Ukrainian drones obliterated us,» he said.**

**Platov endured injuries to both legs, his back, and spine. Medical evacuation was nonexistent.**

**»I crawled for four days, covering 25 kilometers. Only two of us survived out of nine. We urinated in bottles, took antiviral medication, and drank to stay alive. That’s how we managed,» he shared.**

**Upon his return, Platov felt like a traitor.**

**»They asked, ‘You’re the commander, right? Where’s your unit? You’re a Wagner guy; weren’t you supposed to be tough?’” he recalled. “But I wasn’t the one giving orders—it was those idiots sitting in their comfortable headquarters.”**

**Ordered to return to the front immediately, Platov resisted what he considered an “insane” demand. Only then did the commanders allow for a temporary withdrawal.**

**»In Wagner, it was camaraderie. There were no ranks or insults. Everyone was a ‘brother.’ You fought for the person next to you. Here? You’re nothing,» he stated.**

**Serving in the 110th brigade of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Platov noted that Russian military police in the occupied Donetsk region would forcibly draft men.**

**»They say Ukrainians abduct men for military service. It’s the same s*** here. Military police stop buses, pull men out, including students and the elderly, and send them to the front,» he said.**

**Reports from the BBC support Platov’s assertion that Wagner treated inmates with greater leniency. The life expectation for ex-convicts in the mercenary group was reportedly higher compared to those recruited by the Defense Ministry.**

**The “brotherhood” Platov described may stem from prison dynamics that carried over into Wagner units.**

**Borovskikh suggested that Wagner’s recruitment allowed the informal prison hierarchy to persist on the battlefield, fostering a sense of loyalty and solidarity among certain groups.**

**“Wagner was Prigozhin’s initiative—less bureaucratic. They recruited anyone and created separate units. The Defense Ministry has a list: crimes like extremism, terrorism, or pedophilia disqualify you. Otherwise, they will accept you,” he stated.**

**Currently residing in a dormitory in occupied Ukraine, Platov pays for his expenses out of pocket after being denied hospitalization. Nevertheless, he remains unafraid to contemplate re-enlistment.**

**“Of course, I’m going back,” he affirmed. “I’m not going home until I get retribution for my leg. It’s not just revenge; I love my country. People claim I joined for the money. Sure, I earned 2.5 million rubles ($30,441) for the contract. But I would have signed up regardless. I just didn’t expect to end up in this f***ing militia.»**

**Borovskikh noted that while Russia promotes the war as a patriotic endeavor, most prisoners enlist for financial gain and freedom, viewing patriotism as a mere post-justification.**

**According to Russland hinter Gittern, approximately 25,000 convicts were pardoned and released after serving with Wagner in Ukraine. Including those who signed Defense Ministry contracts, this figure approaches 50,000.**

**Reports from the independent news platform 7×7 indicate that ex-combatants have been implicated in at least 294 murders since returning home from the war. An earlier estimate by the independent news outlet Vyorstka suggested that as many as 750 individuals may have fallen victim to violence perpetrated by Ukraine war veterans.**

**Various reports from exiled media, in conjunction with Russian and Ukrainian sources, corroborate certain elements of Platov’s narrative.**