Ukraine recruits prisoners to fight Russia as it faces battlefield shortage

Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine (AP) — At a rural penal colony in southeast Ukraine, several convicts stood on one foot under barbed twine to listen to a military recruiter on parole. In return, they would have to fight a fierce battle against Russia.

“You can get over this and start a new life,” said the recruiter, a member of the volunteer assault battalion. “The main thing is your will, because you are going to defend the motherland. You will not succeed at 50%, you have to give your 100%, even 150%.”

ukraine is increase draft To deal with acute battlefield shortages for more than two years in the fight against a full-scale invasion of Russia. And its recruitment efforts, for the first year, have extended to the nation’s prison community.

Even though Ukraine no longer announces any key points of troop deployment numbers or casualties, frontline commanders openly admit that they are dealing with serious manpower issues as the Russians continue to build up troops in Japan. and forms incremental features towards the west.

Ukrainian Deputy Justice Minister Olena Vysotska told The Associated Press that more than 3,000 prisoners have already been exempted from parole and assigned to military units, such conscription in a controversial mobilization bill approved by parliament. Is.

According to Justice Ministry estimates, approximately 27,000 prisoners could potentially be eligible for the new program.

“A lot of the inspiration comes from (prisoners) who want to return home a hero, not just return home from prison,” Wysotska said.

Ernest Wolwach, 27, wants to pursue an interest in business. He is serving a two-year sentence for theft in a penal colony in the Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine. He works in the kitchen, filling tin bowls with pieces of food.

“It’s stupid to sit here doing nothing,” Wolwach said. He said that since the beginning of the war he had wanted to “do something for Ukraine” and wanted to be able to enlist. “Now it has come to light.”

For security reasons Ukrainian infantrymen on active duty are generally known by their first name or decision sign. Many prisoners at the Dnipropetrovsk penal colony also requested to be identified by their first names only to avoid difficulties in the event of recruitment.

The second prisoner, 30, who gave his name as Volodymyr, makes rivets in a penal colony workshop. He said he plans to voluntarily serve the consequences of his sentence for a year, but will no longer do so because there is a misdemeanor home cut in effect under the parole program.

Prisoners may receive conditional release after interview, scientific testing, and evaluation of their sentence. People convicted of rape, sexual assault, lynching of two or more or crimes against the national security of Ukraine are not eligible.

Ukrainian authorities are ready to draw a distinction between their program and the recruitment of defectors in Russia for handovers within the notorious Wagner mercenary team. Officials say those fighters were typically involved in the deadliest battles, although the Ukrainian program aims to integrate prisoners into normal Ukrainian frontline equipment.

According to data sent by the federal government to the ECU union, the country has a prison population of about 42,000.

While recent reforms have led to a reduction in the number of prisoners and are credited with improving conditions in some facilities, the US Environment Section, in its annual report on human rights extremes of the year, criticized credible reports of “abusive treatment or punishment” by prison administrators. Has been mentioned.

In the upcoming screening, paroled prisoners are forced to undergo minor training in camps, where they learn the basics of gun handling and alternative combat. The training ends when they attach the personal gadget.

Paroled prisoner Mykhailo joined the attack, saying that the physical requirements for recreation were worthless relative to the upcoming months in prison – climbing in and out of groups of armed staff and working through obstacle courses. .

“I decided to sign up for the Ukrainian Volunteer Army because I have a family at home, children, parents,” the 29-year-old said, speaking amid the sound of gunfire at a shooting field. “I will be more useful in battle.”

Vysotska, the Deputy Justice Minister, noted that enrollment within the Army Parole Program has exceeded initial expectations, and it will serve more than 5,000 new recruits. “This will definitely help,” she said.

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Gatopoulos reported from Kyiv. Volodymyr Yurchuk in the Dnipropetrovsk region and Dmytro Zihinas in Kiev contributed to this record.

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