Yuliia Dysa and Tom Balmforth – Reuters May8, 2024
Ukraine’s parliament passed a bill on Wednesday that would allow some convicts to enlist in the army in return for a chance at parole, part of a push to generate fresh manpower for Kyiv’s outnumbered and exhausted troops.
More than 26 months since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukraine is trying to fill a shortfall in manpower that some military analysts say is Kyiv’s biggest challenge against a much larger foe.
The move is only expected to generate around several thousand new soldiers from a possible pool of up to 20,000 convicts, David Arakhamia, a senior lawmaker said.
The bill, which needs President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s signature to become law, would not allow people convicted of the most serious crimes to enlist, lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko said.
People convicted of the premeditated murder of two or more people, rape, sexual violence, crimes against national security and serious corruption violations would remain barred, he said.
“It’s no secret that the mobilisation resource of our enemy is huge, and therefore we should use all available opportunities to fight back armed aggression,” a note attached to the bill said.
“Some of these people are motivated and patriotic citizens who are ready to redeem themselves before society on the battlefield.”
Convicts wanting to enlist would have to write an appeal to the head of the prison and conditional probation would be granted by a court decision.
“This must happen only by the convict’s own will. Prisoners are not forced to mobilize,” Honcharenko said on X.
Earlier, Justice Minister Denys Maliuska said separate units in the armed forces would be introduced for convict fighters.
Last month, Ukraine lowered the draft mobilisation age from 27 to 25, with 60 the maximum age, and also overhauled rules governing how it mobilises civilians into the army to reinforce and rotate troops.
In tandem, the government also temporarily suspended consular services for men of military age who reside abroad, complaining they were not helping the Ukrainian state fight for its survival.
Russian troops are advancing in the east and Ukraine is bracing for a big Russian offensive push later this spring or in summer.
To hold the line, analysts say Kyiv needs a significant inflow of weapons from the West and to replenish its ranks, though it is unclear if that will avert a Russian breakthrough on the battlefield.
The deeper one looks into this, one realizes just how corrupt the government of Ukraine is. Russia is more and more looking as a rescuer of the Ukraine people than an offensive attacker.
Not that long ago western media was saying Putin was so desperate he was asking prison volunteers to fight on the front. Now Ukraine is looking at that possibility and suddenly the idea sounds noble.
In a recent White House press briefing spokewoman Karine-Jean Pierre took a question asking should the US reconsider its ties to some Nazi-supporting Ukrainian units. K-JP replied, “Seventy-nine years ago the US and its ally Ukraine took down the Hitler regime and the threat still comes from the east.” They lack the intellectual capacity to realise WWII is too well-known to rewrite its history. It’s too big! Leave it as is and look for other reasons to explain why they want to steal Russia’s resources.
Well… the Russians have been doing it for two years..haven’t they?…earn your freedom and a cash advance by being blown apart in a senseless suicidal assault on concrete fortifications..
It’s a win win for these States (and they are in a right one)…but probably not worth consideration if you are getting paroled some time soon..in fact it’s probably not worth consideration having considered it..
unless you feel lucky..punk..
all war nations do sooner or later recrute
criminals . french legion do it, spain did it.
for war one dont needs a high moral .
moral is luxus !