MOSCOW, July 22. /TASS/. About 9,500 Ukrainian convicts are serving in the country's armed forces, with most of them stationed on the frontline, Ukraine’s State Penal Service reported.
"Some 9,500 convicts are performing missions on the front, including on the frontline," reads the statement published on Facebook (prohibited in Russia due to its ownership by Meta, which is designated as extremist). The agency added that there were 100 women among the convicts serving in the Ukrainian army.
In May, the number of convicts in the Ukrainian armed forces stood above 8,300, rising by 1,500 in three months. The penal service stressed that 6% of the convicts deployed to the frontline had been sentenced for murder.
Earlier, Ukrainian officials said that 20-30% of convicts serving their sentences in the country’s jails could sign contracts to join the armed forces in exchange for parole.
As the Ukrainian armed forces are facing major personnel shortages, the Ukrainian authorities are doing all they can to make those not subject to general mobilization join the military. The government’s measures particularly include an initiative to call up convicts in exchange for parole, which emerged a year ago. The law that provides for the mobilization of convicts took effect in May 2024. However, those convicted of terror-related crimes, crimes against national security, the murder of two or more people, and particularly serious crimes related to corruption are not eligible to take this opportunity.