Wagner group trying to recruit mercenaries among residents of occupied Melitopol

russian private military company, Wagner Group, began to recruit local residents in the occupied Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia region, to participate in the battles in the eastern city of Bakhmut, Donetsk region.

Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov said on the air of the National TV Marathon that the russian military is currently stationed all over the southeastern city of Melitopol, which has been occupied by russian forces since March 2023, adding that the whole of Melitopol is a "solid 'rashist' base."

"As for the mobilization and prigozhin, yes, it is true (that the Wagner Group PMC is trying to recruit local residents, ed.). And we see that at the beginning of the week, [russia-appointed] gauleiter [of the temporarily occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia region] balytsky began to form his so-called 'militia,'" the mayor said. "At the end of the week, Wagner started to spread messages on Telegram in the closed groups of Melitopol residents who remained on the territory of the temporarily occupied city, trying to recruit people. Of course, no one agrees. But the offers they make are 200,000 rubles, as it were, per month, and they are ready to pay those who are ready to join 'Wagner' to attack Bakhmut," Fedorov concluded.

On Monday, the Ground Forces commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, reported that the situation around Bakhmut in the Donetsk region is difficult; the occupiers do not stop trying to break through the defenses and advance to the center of the city but are suffering heavy losses and need reinforcement to continue attacks.