The Ukrainian Legislature approved a law on Wednesday (8) so that criminals who have already been convicted by the courts can be recruited to fight against Russia in the war and, in exchange, receive parole. The law is not yet in force; the text still needs to be sanctioned by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Ukraine war began in February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukrainian territory. The country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated that the current situation is very difficult.
The number of men arrested who fit the profile of a soldier is 20,000, according to deputy David Arakhamia. According to the Reuters news agency, the new law will allow the army to gain a few thousand new fighters.
The new law is not for all criminals: men convicted of serious crimes are not eligible to enlist in exchange for parole, according to deputy Oleksiy Honcharenko.
For example, men convicted of premeditated murder, sexual violence, rape, crimes against national security and serious acts of corruption cannot apply for conscription.
‘Very difficult situation’ in the war
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated this Thursday (9) that the country’s army faces “a really very difficult situation”, especially in the eastern region, where troops need to contain the advance of Russian forces.
Russia has exploited some of the Ukrainians’ problems, such as the lack of ammunition and soldiers. The Russians have been attacking more in the north and east, and have had advantages on the battlefield, according to Zelensky.
US will send $1 billion worth of weapons to Ukraine
Putin says exercise with nuclear weapons is common
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated this Thursday (9) that it is normal to carry out military exercises using tactical nuclear weapons (weapons to be used on the battlefieldIt is not in citiessuch as the “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” bombs, which were dropped by the Americans on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, at the end of World War II).
On Monday, Russia said it would train the use of tactical nuclear weapons as part of a military exercise in southern Russian territory, together with Belarus.
The Russian government claims it has received threats from France, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“There is nothing unusual about this, this is planned work, this is training,” Putin said, according to the Tass news agency.
Russia says NATO should not send troops
Russia said on Wednesday that sending North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) troops to Ukraine would be extremely dangerous and that it was paying attention to a Ukrainian petition calling for such intervention.
The petition, published on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s website, says Ukraine should ask the United States, United Kingdom and other countries to send troops to help it repel Russia’s invasion.
“The Kiev regime is quite unpredictable,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked about the issue at his daily briefing.
“We have repeatedly said that direct intervention in this conflict by the militaries of NATO countries potentially carries enormous danger, therefore, we consider this an extremely challenging provocationnothing less than that and, of course, we are watching everything very carefully.”
NATO has supported Ukraine in the war, providing it with increasingly powerful weapons, including tanks and long-range missiles, but has not directly intervened with troops – something that US President Joe Biden and the Russian President, Vladimir Putinhave warned that it could lead to World War III.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the issue of sending Western troops to Ukraine will “legitimately” arise if Russia breaks through Ukrainian lines and Kiev requests them.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that Russia would target French troops if they were sent to Ukraine.
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