Justice Minister says 613 prisoners join Ukrainian Armed Forces to serve as assault troops

A total of 613 prisoners have been released from prisons and joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of the morning of 28 May. They are currently undergoing appropriate training and will subsequently serve in assault units.

Source: Ukraine’s Minister of Justice Denys Maliuska on the air of the national joint 24/7 newscast 

Details: Maliuska said these individuals are scheduled for "several months of training," after which they will serve in assault units.

Quote from Maliuska: "As of now, these will be assault units composed exclusively of individuals who were serving sentences. In other words, these will be monolithic units without mixing with other servicemen."

Details: He added that he is not sure if this is the best option, but in this matter, he relies on the military because they "know better."

"We have not yet reached the point where these units are directly engaged in combat; training is still ongoing. The situation might change later, and the choice regarding mixing or not mixing these units may be reconsidered. But for now, these are separate units. For now, these are assault units," the minister stated.

He also advocates for allowing those convicted of a single murder, whether intentional or accidental, to be mobilised.

"Those with a single murder conviction (should be allowed to join the army– ed.), all of them. Our prisoners are going to fight not to catch butterflies…;they are going to kill. And experience with killing is not always an obstacle to being a good soldier... If we are talking about murders that were not committed with extreme cruelty or did not involve killing two or more people, then very often these crimes are committed by individuals who are less socially dangerous than those who have committed three or four robberies using, for example, cold weapons.

Purely from a classical standpoint. Because sometimes a person loses control of their actions and, in an emotional moment, does something they should not. But after receiving a sentence and starting to serve their time, their psychological state and self-control change significantly, making them much less socially dangerous compared to recidivists who have made a profession out of taking money using weapons – robberies, attacks on people," Maliuska explained.

Previously: On 21 May, the Khmelnytskyi City District Court released from serving their sentences the first two prisoners who expressed a desire to be mobilised.

On 22 May, the Khmelnytskyi City District Court approved all 50 applications for the conditional release of convicts who have expressed a desire to enlist in the Armed Forces of Ukraine to participate in the war.

Background:

• On 8 May, the Verkhovna Rada passed a law providing for the voluntary mobilisation of certain categories of convicts. Persons who have committed premeditated murders, rapists, paedophiles, those convicted of the illegal production, acquisition, distribution or storage of drugs, those who have committed crimes against the national security of Ukraine, and former officials cannot be conscripted into the Defence Forces.
• All others who are potentially liable for military service are subject to the same condition: they must have no more than three years left to serve on their sentence.
• Ukrainian Justice Minister Denys Maliuska believes that 10,000 to 20,000 convicts could be conscripted from the prison system, not least because Ukraine's detention facilities are overcrowded.
• On 21 May, it was reported that over 3,000 Ukrainian convicts had applied for conditional early release to participate in the defence of Ukraine.

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