The Wagner Group is calling on social networks Twitter and Facebook and the media to hire new mercenaries given the high casualty rate it is suffering in the conflict in Ukraine, the website Politico reported today.
According to an exclusive investigation by the international digital platform for political journalism, the Russian paramilitary group is recruiting doctors, drone operators (unmanned aerial vehicles) and even psychologists, among others, to support military operations on the ground, including in Ukraine.
According to Logical, a British research group that focuses on disinformation, Wagner’s job postings, which feature mercenaries in several countries, have been viewed nearly 120,000 times across both social media platforms in the past 10 months.
About 60 posts in dozens of languages - including French, Vietnamese and Spanish – shared information about combat positions and in areas such as computers, driving and medicine apparently available from Wagner, including contact phone numbers, accounts on the Telegram platform and salaries and monthly payments of 240,000 rubles (2,800 euros) with benefits such as insurance and health care.
Although researchers have not been able to attribute the messages directly to the Wagner Group with complete certainty, the published texts bear the stamp of the militia and its supporters.
“We only know that they use the exact same language as the Wagner Group accounts previously verified on platforms such as Telegram or VK. [uma popular rede social russa]said Kyle Walter, chief of research at Logically.
“It is unclear how successful the recruitment campaigns have been. Inciting violence, as well as promoting Russian attacks on Ukraine, are almost certainly violations of the Facebook and Twitter terms of service, which prohibit this type of material.” writes Politics.
A separate analysis by an unnamed Western government official, quoted by Politico, confirmed that at least two phone numbers included in these social media posts were directly related to the Wagner Group or Russian secret services.
“These are real propaganda films”
“Some of these efforts are actual propaganda videos combined with phone numbers to contact representatives of the Wagner Group directly. As we continue to see Wagner as an increasingly dangerous threat in the world, the fact that these messages are circulating ‘online’ is very concerning,” emphasized Kyle Walter.
Twitter responded to a request for comment with an automatic “emoji” representing feces. Last week, the social media company did not respond to a letter from the European Union (EU) to combat disinformation.
The European community bloc’s new content law to put an end to illegal content and falsehoods, the Digital Services Act (DSA), does not come into effect until August 25. Serious violations of the law will result in fines of up to 6% of a company’s global revenue.
“We have labeled the Wagner Group as a dangerous organization, which means it cannot be present on our platforms,” said a spokesperson for Facebook owner Meta, adding that the company also removes content that “praises or substantive support” to the paramilitary group.
The Wagner Group is active in conflicts in Mali and Central Africa, but has been especially prominent in fighting alongside Russia since it invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The militia has recently led much of the fierce fighting in Bakhmut , the city in eastern Ukraine that has seen brutal battles over territory.
According to Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, the paramilitary force has already lost some 20,000 fighters in Ukraine, so it has been trying to recruit new recruits.
Conditions offered
A post in French on social media stated that Wagner Group employees have “paid vacations, health care, high-paying jobs and the opportunity to work all over the world.”
The salary is 240,000 rubles (2,800 euros) and there will be a “good bonus for results,” she said.
“Join us now to defend the honor of Russia and a multipolar world!” reads another French-language Facebook post, according to Politico. A third Facebook post, also in French, promotes “life insurance” and work for “a team focused on efficiency and victory”.
The Wagner Group and some of its leaders were subject to sanctions by the United States and the European Union, with some countries taking further measures to limit their activities.
In January, the United States classified the group as a “transnational criminal organization responsible for widespread human rights abuses.”
In May, French delegates voted to label the Wagner Group a “terrorist entity”.
Source: DN
