Ukraine’s parliament approved a bill on Wednesday that would allow some common prisoners to join the army in exchange for parole, as part of a plan to recruit more soldiers.
More than 26 months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukraine is trying to fill a troop deficit that some military analysts say is Kyiv’s biggest challenge against the Russian enemy. It is estimated that the measure would generate several thousand new soldiers from a possible group of up to 20,000 prisoners.
The approved project, which needs the signature of President Volodymyr Zelensky to become law, would not allow people convicted of the most serious crimes to enlist. People convicted of premeditated murder of two or more people, rape, sexual crimes, crimes against national security and corruption could not benefit from the measure.
Convicts wishing to enlist would have to request it from the corresponding prison director, but conditional release would have to be authorized by a judge.
Minister of Justice Denys Maliuska clarified that separate military units will be created in the armed forces for ex-prisoner combatants.
Last month, Ukraine lowered the military mobilization age from 27 to 25, with 60 being the maximum age, as well as rules regulating how to mobilize civilians in the army to reinforce and rotate troops.
