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Russia Enlists Prisoners for Ukraine Invasion Forces

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The Russian defense ministry has reportedly taken over the practice of recruiting prisoners to fight in Ukraine, assuming the role previously held by the Wagner mercenary group. These units are informally known as Storm-Z, with the letter Z symbolizing Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” against Ukraine and referencing the Russian word “zek” for “inmate.” Similar to Wagner’s prisoner units, Storm-Z detachments are allegedly treated as expendable forces, with little regard for the well-being of their soldiers.

There are suggestions that members of other army units may be sent to Storm-Z detachments as punishment for infractions such as insubordination or drunkenness. Last year, Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, known as “Putin’s chef,” was permitted to recruit from prisons after significant Russian troop casualties in Ukraine. He promised inmates their freedom and expungement of their convictions after six months of service if they survived.

However, Prigozhin later publicly criticized Russia’s top military officials and died in a plane crash along with Wagner’s other commanders. The group has since disappeared from the Ukrainian battlefield, with reports indicating that the defense ministry has taken over the recruitment of inmates for the conflict.

One former Storm-Z member revealed that recruits were promised substantial payments but were sent into battle unprepared and unaware of the true situation on the front line. The Russian military has neither confirmed nor denied the use of convicts in its units, but there are multiple accounts of prisoners being sent to Storm-Z units. These accounts include a confession from the governor of Sevastopol and an interview with a convicted murderer now serving in the Russian military.

The defense ministry in Moscow acknowledged the existence of “storm units” without divulging the identity of their members. These units are tasked with breaking through intricate layers of Ukrainian defenses and are reportedly deployed without due consideration for their survival. A regular soldier who fought alongside Storm-Z members referred to them as mere “meat,” while reports suggest that soldiers from other units can be sent to Storm-Z as a form of punishment.

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Spanish Boy’s Miraculous Survival After Clinging to Tree During Floods Overnight

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A young boy in Spain managed to survive a deadly flood by climbing a tree and holding on throughout the night. His family’s car had been swept away into a river, and tragically, his father remains missing. The 10-year-old is now receiving treatment for hypothermia, as reported by Spanish media.

The devastating floods, caused by record rainfall, have resulted in at least three fatalities and the disappearance of three others in central Spain, according to police. Regions southwest of Madrid were particularly hard-hit, with bridges destroyed and roads transformed into muddy rivers.

The boy’s family was attempting to escape the floodwaters in a rural part of the affected area when their car was swept into the river, explained Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the head of the Madrid region. The young boy spent the entire night clinging to a tree for survival.

While the boy’s mother and sister have been located, rescue efforts are still underway to find his missing father near Aldea de Fresno, one of the three individuals swept away by the heavy rainfall, according to the civil guard police force.

Additionally, three deaths have been confirmed in the Toledo region, situated southwest of Madrid, due to the storm, as stated by the civil guard.

The Spanish weather service, Aemet, recorded record-breaking rainfall of 9cm (3.5in) in the region on Sunday.

Efforts to clean up the aftermath of the floods are ongoing, with residents working to remove mud and debris left in their wake. Regional administrations in Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha have requested that the federal government declare the affected areas as “catastrophe zones,” which would provide government funding for repairing damaged buildings.

In a first-time move, emergency text messages and loud alarms were used to warn residents about the storm on Sunday, and authorities credit people adhering to advice to stay at home and leave their vehicles behind for helping rescue services manage the thousands of calls they received.

This disaster in Spain follows an intense summer heatwave, with climate scientists warning that global warming leads to more water evaporation during the summer, resulting in more severe storms.

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