Ukraine is expanding its military recruiting to cope with battlefield shortages more than two years into fighting Russia’s full-scale invasion.

DNIPROPETROVSK REGION, Ukraine (AP) — At a rural penal colony in southeast Ukraine, several convicts stand assembled under barbed wire to hear an army recruiter offer them a shot at parole. In return, they must join the grueling fight against Russia.

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

Ukraine is expanding the draft to cope with acute battlefield shortages more than two years into fighting against Russia’s full-scale invasion. And its recruiting efforts have turned, for the first time, to the country’s prison population.

  • The Snark Urge@lemmy.worldEnglish
    691·
    4 months ago

    The strictures on who gets released are quite tight. It’s basically the most careful version of what the headline suggests.

    • Stamau123@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      53·
      4 months ago

      From the article:

      Prisoners can get the conditional release after an interview, medical exam, and a review of their conviction. Those convicted of rape, sexual assault, murdering two or more people or crimes against Ukraine’s national security aren’t eligible.

      Ukrainian officials are keen to draw a distinction between their program and recruitment in Russia of convicts to serve in the notorious Wagner mercenary group. Those fighters typically have been funneled to the deadliest battles, the officials say, but the Ukrainian program aims to integrate the inmates into regular Ukrainian frontline units.

      • peopleproblems@lemmy.worldEnglish
        18·
        4 months ago

        The murderer thing makes me go “ehhhhh” but otherwise I can see how this could be a beneficial move. You fight for your home, you get out of jail early. Yes it carries risk, but I would imagine plenty of inmates have family directly impacted by the invasion and have been asking to get sent into the fight.

        Better dead fighting for your home than locked up and becoming a Russian prisoner potentially.

      • Zipitydew@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        91·
        4 months ago

        Also, Russia did like the exact opposite of that. They emptied out their worst criminals into Wagner because they knew they’d have no qualms about what Wagner does.