Paul Whelan's Shocking Revelation: Insider Info on Russian Prison Recruitment

Paul Whelan, a former American marine who was wrongfully detained in Russia for over five years, disclosed that he passed information to Western officials that he received from fellow prisoners who were fighting in Ukraine on behalf of Russia. Whelan mentioned that he and other prisoners used illegal "burner" phones to communicate and that the guards turned a blind eye in exchange for goods like cigarettes.

He revealed that 450 prisoners from his camp were recruited to fight in Ukraine by mercenary groups like the Wagner Group, resulting in casualties and long-lasting trauma among the young recruits. Whelan's release earlier this year was part of a larger prisoner exchange between the US and Russia, orchestrated after years of intensive negotiations involving multiple countries.