Ukraine approves recruitment of prisoners by the Army in exchange for amnesty

The Ukrainian Parliament approved a bill this Wednesday (8) that allows prisoners serving sentences in the country to be recruited by the Armed Forces in exchange for amnesty for their crimes. The text was approved in second reading, with 279 votes in favor.

The measure excludes inmates convicted of serious crimes, such as murder, sexual violence and attacks on national security, and comes at a time when Kiev seeks to mobilize more soldiers to confront Russia.

Inmate recruitment is not new to the Ukrainian conflict. In 2022, Russia authorized the Wagner Group to recruit men from Russian prisons, offering salaries, amnesty for crimes and compensation for families. However, deserters reported being sent to the front without adequate training or equipment, and that they were threatened with death if they deserted.

Ukraine struggles to replenish its ranks

Amid two years of war, with a series of defeats for Russian forces, Ukraine is trying to replenish its ranks. In April, in an attempt to expand recruitment, the minimum age for mandatory enlistment was reduced from 27 to 25 years old.

Kiev also suspended consular services for Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 abroad, as a way to encourage them to return to the country and join the defense forces, as well as help the local economy. The government has increased surveillance, especially in border areas, to prevent potential recruits from leaving the country.

The country faces pressure from families waiting to identify the bodies of their loved ones, often in crowded morgues or inaccessible areas of the battlefield.

Officially, the Ukrainian government does not reveal the number of soldiers missing in action, who are often considered unidentified dead. In February, in a rare statement, President Volodymyr Zelensky

estimated the number of soldiers killed at 31,000, but US estimates suggest that 70,000 had died by August.