John Lechner

And the way that he always gets around his rivals is by gambling big, like at Hacham. And so he starts also promising things that he's going to do, something that the generals would never do. And ultimately, what he ends up promising is that he's going to, basically, Wagner is going to take Bakhmut, this kind of middle-sized city, from Ukrainian forces.

And the way that he's going to do it is he gets exclusive permission for a time to go to all of Russia's prisons and recruit prisoners to the front line. And so he shows up, and he goes himself. I mean, he's a guy who does a lot of things himself.

And the way that he's going to do it is he gets exclusive permission for a time to go to all of Russia's prisons and recruit prisoners to the front line. And so he shows up, and he goes himself. I mean, he's a guy who does a lot of things himself.

And the way that he's going to do it is he gets exclusive permission for a time to go to all of Russia's prisons and recruit prisoners to the front line. And so he shows up, and he goes himself. I mean, he's a guy who does a lot of things himself.

Yeah, he wasn't allowed to have actual soldiers and so he gets the convicts. And so he shows up at these Russian penal colonies and they gather all the prisoners into the prison yard and he comes in in his helicopter and he comes in and he speaks in front of all of the prisoners and he says, you know, I have an offer for you. You can come and fight for me for six months.

Yeah, he wasn't allowed to have actual soldiers and so he gets the convicts. And so he shows up at these Russian penal colonies and they gather all the prisoners into the prison yard and he comes in in his helicopter and he comes in and he speaks in front of all of the prisoners and he says, you know, I have an offer for you. You can come and fight for me for six months.

Yeah, he wasn't allowed to have actual soldiers and so he gets the convicts. And so he shows up at these Russian penal colonies and they gather all the prisoners into the prison yard and he comes in in his helicopter and he comes in and he speaks in front of all of the prisoners and he says, you know, I have an offer for you. You can come and fight for me for six months.

And if you survive, you're a free man and your criminal record is expunged." And he tells them that my losses are worse than Stalingrad, which obviously resonates with Russians. And ultimately, about 50,000 guys sign up. And the tactic that Progozhin is going to use to take Bakhmut is the human wave tactic. And so these convicts, they get two weeks training.

And if you survive, you're a free man and your criminal record is expunged." And he tells them that my losses are worse than Stalingrad, which obviously resonates with Russians. And ultimately, about 50,000 guys sign up. And the tactic that Progozhin is going to use to take Bakhmut is the human wave tactic. And so these convicts, they get two weeks training.

And if you survive, you're a free man and your criminal record is expunged." And he tells them that my losses are worse than Stalingrad, which obviously resonates with Russians. And ultimately, about 50,000 guys sign up. And the tactic that Progozhin is going to use to take Bakhmut is the human wave tactic. And so these convicts, they get two weeks training.

Usually, I think, just inside the border with Ukraine and around Luhansk. And then after that, they're sent to the front. And basically, they're put in small units. And... Each small unit, one unit will go out, attack the Ukrainian position. Eight guys might be killed, but two guys get into the trench, and they do some damage before getting killed.

Usually, I think, just inside the border with Ukraine and around Luhansk. And then after that, they're sent to the front. And basically, they're put in small units. And... Each small unit, one unit will go out, attack the Ukrainian position. Eight guys might be killed, but two guys get into the trench, and they do some damage before getting killed.

Usually, I think, just inside the border with Ukraine and around Luhansk. And then after that, they're sent to the front. And basically, they're put in small units. And... Each small unit, one unit will go out, attack the Ukrainian position. Eight guys might be killed, but two guys get into the trench, and they do some damage before getting killed.

And before the Ukrainians have a chance to recover, another unit of convicts is coming through. And so it's a very inefficient way to wage war, but it is effective over time.

And before the Ukrainians have a chance to recover, another unit of convicts is coming through. And so it's a very inefficient way to wage war, but it is effective over time.

And before the Ukrainians have a chance to recover, another unit of convicts is coming through. And so it's a very inefficient way to wage war, but it is effective over time.

As you can imagine, it's a huge front line now, right, in Ukraine. In the beginning, the first phase of the war in Donbas, you know, it's a little section of the Donbas region. Now it's... you know, like a thousand kilometers long maybe or something. And so he's also engaged with the Ukrainians. And the Ukrainians are sending some of their best guys to defend Bakhmut.

As you can imagine, it's a huge front line now, right, in Ukraine. In the beginning, the first phase of the war in Donbas, you know, it's a little section of the Donbas region. Now it's... you know, like a thousand kilometers long maybe or something. And so he's also engaged with the Ukrainians. And the Ukrainians are sending some of their best guys to defend Bakhmut.

As you can imagine, it's a huge front line now, right, in Ukraine. In the beginning, the first phase of the war in Donbas, you know, it's a little section of the Donbas region. Now it's... you know, like a thousand kilometers long maybe or something. And so he's also engaged with the Ukrainians. And the Ukrainians are sending some of their best guys to defend Bakhmut.

While for the Russian government, they're losing, in their mind, some of the worst people in society, right? These convicts. And so, you know, it's like a four to one ratio in terms of losses. but it's something that the Russians and Progozhin are willing to do for the reasons that Murat said.