Since the start of the war, Ukraine has lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers who have been killed or wounded, according to German newspaper Welt. The prominent newspaper reports the seriousness of the situation is shown by the fact that the Ukrainian army is already recruiting in prisons, as it is still unable to fill the gaps at the front.
In addition to a shortage of modern fighter jets and ammunition, a shortage of soldiers is a central problem for Ukraine’s war effort.
Behind the prison walls, the Ukrainian army has found something that is rare in the country: volunteer fighters for the frontline. Since May, 2,800 prisoners have been released and are now serving as soldiers, the Ukrainian justice ministry told Welt when contacted.
A total of 10,000 to 20,000 men and women in prison could join the army as part of the recruitment program, estimates Ukrainian Justice Minister Denis Malyuska.
Recruitment from the prison population is possible through a new law adopted by the Ukrainian parliament in May. Under this law, prisoners can be released on parole early to join the Ukrainian armed forces under contract. This includes, for example, convicted drug traffickers, perpetrators of violent crimes, and certain homicide offenders.
Prison No. 14 in Odessa, southern Ukraine, is one of the prisons where the army has been looking to recruit reinforcements since May. Volunteers have been promised proper training for the frontline and a monthly salary of around 100,000 hryvnias, the equivalent of just under €2,500. This is about the same as the standard military salary in Ukraine. Those who are deployed in assault brigades at the front earn the equivalent of €2,750 a month.
The use of released criminals in this war is nothing new. Russia has been replenishing its own ranks with prisoners since the summer of 2022. In the battle for the eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut alone, thousands of convicts were seriously wounded or killed in 2023.
