Chief of Wagner PMC releases first group of criminals who fought in Ukraine, lifting all convictionsYevgeny Prigozhin, the Head of Wagner Private Military Company, has released the first batch of criminals who had been recruited for the war against Ukraine from prisons; the convicts have also had all of their convictions removed.Background:- On 4 July, 2022, Russian media iStories reported that convicts in the colonies of St. Petersburg had been recruited as "volunteers" to go to the war in Ukraine as part of Wagner PMC.- On 20 July 2022, the news outlet reported that Wagner PMC was recruiting Russian convicts for service from about 15 prisons throughout Russia.- Later it was reported that almost all convicts from two Russian colonies, recruited by Wagner PMC for the war in Ukraine, had been killed.- In September of 2022, Prigozhin, commenting on reports of the recruitment of convicts to participate in the war against Ukraine, suggested that those who disagree with such recruitment send their children to the frontline."