Ukraine war: Wagner 'recruiting in Moscow high schools for young warriors'

Russia's Wagner mercenary group have been trying to recruit in Moscow high schools, distributing questionnaires and collecting contact details of interested pupils who might want to become "young warriors," says the British Ministry of Defence. 

Wagner is also reportedly recruiting in dozens of sports centres across Russia. 

In its latest intelligence update, the MoD says that Wager Group's owner Yevgeny Prigozhin has "likely lost access to recruiting in Russian prisons," because of ongoing disputed with the Kremlin's military leadership. 

Wagner had been promising pardons to prisoners who signed up to fight in Ukraine, but the UK MoD says about half of those prisoners already deployed "have likely become casualties." 

"The new initiatives are unlikely to make up for the loss of the convict recruit pipeline," the MoD concludes.

Meanwhile Russia's offensive to capture the eastern Ukraine city of Bakhmut offensive appears to have stalled. 

The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said there were no recent confirmed advances by Russian forces, amid gritty fighting over the eastern Ukrainian city. 

There were, however, claims of Russian progress earlier in the week.   

The Russian army and units from the Wagner Group mercenary force continue to launch ground attacks into Bakhmut, but there was no evidence they were making any progress the ISW said. 

Citing the spokesperson of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the American think-tank said fighting in the city was growing more intense, reporting 23 clashes over the last 24 hours. 

Bakhmut, now squeezed to the north, south and east, has been subjected to a months-long bloody campaign by Moscow, inflicting devastating losses on both sides and civilians.

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