Russian mercenaries blew off African prisoners’ legs to practice battlefield medicine, Wagner fighter says
A Russian mercenary captured by Ukraine describes alleged Wagner training sessions where prisoners were deliberately maimed and killed so recruits could practice battlefield medicine and killing techniques.
A former Wagner fighter, now captured by Ukraine, has detailed alleged training sessions in Mali where Russian mercenaries utilized African prisoners as live targets, causing severe injuries to train recruits in battlefield medicine. The fighter recounted instructors bringing in a captive with a bomb strapped to his leg, detonating it so recruits could practice stopping bleeding.
Later, the prisoner was shot in the artery near his armpit for additional practice. In another session, a prisoner's leg was chopped off with an ax for tourniquet training. The fighter also alleged instructors taught recruits how to kill with a knife, striking the heart. All three prisoners died during these exercises. The mercenary, who joined Wagner in 2023, stated around 120-130 recruits joined him in Mali via Syria.
Wagner, a Russian paramilitary group, received $3,000 monthly per recruit. After Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's death in 2023, the group's independence waned, with many fighters and operations under Russian state control. The mercenary remained in Mali until April 2024, later joining Russia's military intelligence agency and later being captured by Ukrainian forces.
Recent reports by Human Rights Watch and Ukraine's intelligence have documented ongoing abuses by Wagner and state-controlled Africa Corps in Mali, including civilian killings, beatings, and arson attacks.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
