Ukraine's new law: Convicts to frontline amidst military shortage

On Wednesday, May 8, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law allowing some prisoners to be released and offered them military contracts. Thus, Kyiv follows the well-trodden path of recruiting prisoners into the military, just like the Moscow regime. Ukraine's Minister of Justice, Denys Maluśka, praises the solution, saying that even 20,000 people may reach the front.

Due to the war in Ukraine, which has been ongoing for more than two years, the authorities of our eastern neighbours are constantly struggling with shortages. Those regarding ammunition and equipment are temporarily no longer an issue. After months of debate, the Americans finally decided at the end of April to help the authorities in Kyiv by transferring almost £61 billion.

But a long military conflict also means tired and killed soldiers. Therefore, the authorities in Kyiv decided to take a radical step. On May 8, the Supreme Council of Ukraine (the local parliament) passed a law allowing the mobilization of convicts.

"20,000 prisoners to join the army ranks? Kyiv considers scenarios. The Supreme Council, Ukraine's parliament, on Wednesday passed a law allowing the release of certain categories of prisoners so they could take up military service on a contract basis during mobilization and state of war," we read in a post by Belsat television on the X platform.

One of the authors and promoters of sending convicts to the front is Ukrainian Minister of Justice Denys Maluśka. On the one hand, "Ukrainska Pravda" reports that amnesty cannot be granted to those convicted of paedophilia, murder, corruption, or any other form of crime against Ukraine's security.

"The number of inmates in prisons who could be mobilized for the war against Russia is about 10-20 thousand. It is important in this context that our country has overcrowded prisons," says Ukrainian Minister of Justice Denys Maluśka.

On the other hand, the minister advocates sending murderers to the front. The only condition was that the convict had to kill two or more people.

And why does a person go to war if not to kill? Especially when we talk (…) about people sentenced to life. They are usually people who committed crimes at a very young age, 18-19 years. The brain is not yet fully developed by then, the psyche is unstable. After several decades in prison, the psychological portrait of such a person has nothing in common with the portrait of a person who killed at the age of 18-19. Any psychologist will confirm this – argues the head of the justice department.

The idea is not new. "Ukrainska Pravda" reports that Moscow has been recruiting its prisoners for war for about a year and a half. Convicts from prisons and penal colonies from all over Russia are being sent to fight in Ukraine. First, prisoners were sent to the Wagner Group, trained and then sent to the front.

Then the army took up the same procedure, creating the famous "Storm-Z" units.