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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Ukrainian authorities announce the formation of assault troops from convicts. |
| 2024-05-28 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. AKA: Penal battalions. [Regnum] The Armed Forces of Ukraine will form assault troops from mobilized prisoners, Minister of Justice of Ukraine Denis Malyuska said on May 27 on the air of a single Ukrainian news telethon. This is how he answered the question about the branches of the military to which those who were serving their sentences would be sent. Malyuska emphasized that such units will consist exclusively of convicted persons and will not include other military personnel. In April, the Minister of Justice of Ukraine stated that from the prisoners mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine, separate units would be created for digging trenches and building infrastructure. As Regnum reported, on May 8, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a bill on the mobilization of convicts. The document assumes that the mobilization of convicts is voluntary. Mobilized prisoners will be released on parole. Those convicted of crimes against the fundamentals of national security, murder, sexual violence, pedophilia and fatal accidents committed under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be subject to voluntary conscription. On May 10, Denis Malyuska suggested that up to 20 thousand prisoners and people with a criminal record could be drafted into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He noted that each specific case should be considered separately in order to determine whether a particular fighter is useful for the Ukrainian army. On May 25, The New York Times, citing Malyuska, wrote that 350 prisoners in Ukraine were released from prisons who wanted to receive parole in exchange for participation in mobilization in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. |
| Posted by:badanov |