By Dylan Housman
A group of Russian mercenaries fighting in Ukraine is searching for new recruits where many fighting-age males gather: Pornhub.
The Wagner Group, a mercenary organization founded by a Russian oligarch linked to Putin, has begun advertising on Pornhub in an attempt to bolster recruitment numbers after suffering heavy losses in Ukraine, RadioFreeEurope reported. Users who access the site from Russia will be greeted by an expletive-filled ad asking men from “all regions” of Russia to join the war rather than watch pornography.
⚡ISW: Wagner Group offensive on Bakhmut appears to be nearing culmination.
The number of attacks in and around Bakhmut has significantly decreased, particularly over the last few days, the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest assessment on March 15.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 16, 2023
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the oligarch who founded the organization, confirmed the authenticity of the ad.
“The placement of the ad on porn websites is the good idea of our marketing experts. I fully agree with them,” Prigozhin said on Telegram. “The ad says: Go fight along with the Wagner private military campaign, stop masturbating. And who disagrees with that?”
Wagner, which operates throughout various regions of the world, particularly in Africa and the Middle East, is recognized as a terrorist organization by some countries. Until last month, the group had been recruiting from Russian prisons. (RELATED: US Military Releases Video Showing The Moment Russian Jet Harasses Drone)
Prigozhin has criticized the Kremlin and Russia’s Defense Ministry for not providing Wagner with enough support in Ukraine, including complaining of ammunition shortages in recent weeks.
