Russia's penal colony closures linked to war‑driven inmate drop
The number of inmates in Russian penal institutions is rapidly declining due to the recruitment of prisoners to fight in Ukraine. The situation has forced the authorities in some regions to decide to close part of the penal colonies. Contrary to earlier assurances, prisoner-soldiers are not receiving pardons.
Russia, in the war with Ukraine, is increasingly turning to prisoners. As reported by the Russian newspaper "Kommersant", quoted by BBC, on Thursday, Mark Denisov, the human rights commissioner in Krasnodar Krai, informed local deputies about plans to optimise and save in the penitentiary system by eliminating several units.
The circumstance behind these actions is a "large reduction in the number of convicts". According to Denisov, to be closed are, among others, a penal colony for recidivists in Gromadsk and a facility for first-time convicts in Areiskoe.
The scale of the decrease in the number of inmates is unprecedented. Deputy Justice Minister Vsevolod Vukolov revealed in October that before the war, 420,000 convicts were in Russian prisons, while currently, their number has reached a historical minimum of 266,000 - notes the "Washington Post".
Mass recruitment of prisoners to the front
As the media indicate, such a dramatic decrease in the prison population is the result of actions by the Russian army and a private military company known as the Wagner Group, which have been recruiting convicts on a large scale to participate in the war in Ukraine.
The US Department of Defense estimated in December 2022 that about 40,000 prisoners have been sent to the front in the ranks of the Wagnerians. The mercenaries tempted volunteers with the promise of a full pardon after surviving six months of combat. The British Ministry of Defence notes that in 2023, the practice of mass conscription of prisoners was taken over by the Russian Ministry of Defence itself. It is widely known that Moscow spares no expense for such purposes.
Lifetime service instead of amnesty?
BBC, however, points out that the prospects for convicts who have decided to serve in exchange for freedom do not look so optimistic. According to station reports, they will likely be forced to fight until the end of the war. Only reaching an age or health condition that excludes further participation in wartime actions will allow them to leave the front.
Moreover, contrary to earlier assurances, prisoner-soldiers are to be released only on parole, not receiving a full pardon. "If you sign up now, be ready to die" - warned new recruits at a forum for convicts fighting in Ukraine named Sergei, quoted by BBC.
Ukraine warns of a new Russian offensive
Meanwhile, General Oleksandr Pavliuk, commander of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, informed on Wednesday that Russia is forming a new group of over 100,000 soldiers. In his view, it may serve to replenish depleted units or conduct an offensive on one of the fronts during the summer period. As Pavliuk noted, the exact intentions of the opponent are unknown to the Ukrainian side.
The commander of the Ukrainian ground forces assured that the defenders will do everything to inflict the greatest losses on the Russians, preventing them from forming strategic reserves. He also expressed regret about Ukraine's lack of air superiority, which exposes its positions to concentrated aerial assaults by the enemy.
Record losses demoralise Russians
Recruiting tens of thousands of prisoners to the army is a desperate attempt to fill the personnel gap resulting from the huge losses Russia is suffering during the invasion. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, since 24 February 2022, the aggressor has already lost over 160,000 soldiers - killed or severely wounded. This is more than the entire Russian army counted before the start of the war.
Such a high number of casualties, combined with brutal methods of maintaining discipline on the front (including execution squads eliminating deserters), cause a sharp decline in morale among the Russians. Authorities try to counter this trend by resorting to forced mobilization and precisely mass recruitment of prisoners. However, as BBC notes, for many of them, service in exchange for amnesty effectively becomes a life sentence.
