Whelan transmitted West information from fellow inmates from Ukraine

Whelan transmitted West information from fellow inmates from Ukraine

Paul Whelan, the American who Five and a half years was wrongly imprisoned in Russia, unveiled on Sunday that he passed on information he received from other prisoners to western authorities. These prisoners fought on the front in Ukraine.

Communication from prison

"The prisoners from the camp who went to the front had communication options. They communicated with us. I passed on the information I received from them to the four governments," said Whelan in the CBS show "Face the Nation" and referred to the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Ireland-the four countries whose citizens are.

Illegal cell phones in prison

Welan added that he and others could communicate with former prisoners via "Burner Cell phones", which they themselves could procure in the Russian labor camp in Mordovia. "By illegal cell phones," said Whelan. "Yes, we had Burner phones."

Corrupted guard

He also reported that the guards often "looked away" when they were like cigarettes. "A Russian prison attendant earns three to four hundred dollars a month. If you give him a box of cigarettes, you can do a lot," added Whelan.

Regular consultations with consular officials

During his detention, consular officials of the four governments met regularly with Whelan to inquire about his well -being and over Efforts for his release to inform.

Recruitment of prisoners for the war

Whelan reported that 450 prisoners from his warehouse were recruited for use in Ukraine, mainly through mercenary groups such as the Wagner group, the tens of thousands of prisoners from the prisons of Russia. To strengthen Putin's brutal invasion. According to the Whelan, his camp consisted mainly of young men from Central Asian countries such as Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Traumatic experiences and their consequences

"450 went from my camp. I knew them all. Some of them are dead, others have lost limbs. Everyone has some form of PTSD. They have through traumatic experiences," he said. "They were used on the front to walk through mining fields. They were used as cannon food. They sent them to patrols to distract the fire's fire. This is how the Russians deal with these people. And they are all young. Putin is thrown in a generation of young people in Ukraine without doing anything."

Whelan's release as part of a prisoner exchange

Whelan, a former US Navy, became part of one at the beginning of this year comprehensive prisoner exchange released between the United States and Russia. In this historical exchange, a total of eight people were returned to the Kremlin, while 16 people, including four Americans, were released from Russian imprisonment. This exchange was the result of years of complex negotiations behind closed doors in which the USA, Russia and Germany were involved.

Reported by Jennifer Hansler, CNN.