Private military company controlled by Russian Defence Ministry starts recruiting HIV-positive people for war

The Russian Redut Private Military Company, which reports to the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, has begun recruiting HIV-positive mercenaries for the war in Ukraine.

Source: Vazhnye Istorii, a Russian media outlet.

Details: Recruiters have begun to make announcements in Russian social media that they would accept men with HIV and hepatitis. Their contracts would be concluded for six months, the salary is RUB 230,000 (US$2,542), and there is a possibility of receiving bonuses.

It is stated that they will accept mercenaries similar to the Umbrella division, which existed in the Wagner Group and in which people with HIV and hepatitis served.

A journalist responded to the ad and introduced himself as a man with HIV who wanted to go to war. The recruiter informed him that any contract would be concluded with Redut Private Military Company.

He specified that a volunteer with HIV needs to take his medicines for antiretroviral therapy with him: "We will only provide you with what (you will) be fighting in. You will have to buy (medicines) in Donetsk; we will not supply them."

HIV-positive and hepatitis patients cannot officially conclude a contract with the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation.

Background: 

• A year ago, Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence reported that the Russian Wagner private military company had started to recruit large numbers of prisoners who were suffering from serious infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C for the war in Ukraine, a phenomenon that has already become widespread.

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