15,000-20,000 prisoners could be mobilised to Ukraine's Defence Forces – Ukrainian official

The total number of prisoners who could be mobilised to join Ukraine's Defence Forces is 15,000-20,000.

Source: Davyd Arakhamiia, leader of the Servant of the People faction and a member of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliamentary) Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence, during a briefing in parliament

Quote: "15,000-20,000 is the total number [of prisoners – ed.] who may meet the criteria. We don't know how many of them will sign the contract, because that will be by agreement between the parties. We expect it will be several thousand."

Details: Arakhamiia noted that prisoners will be mobilised further to a court judgment granting them parole.

Background:

• On 8 May, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) backed a bill in the second reading that would allow the voluntary mobilisation of certain categories of prisoners.
• Persons who have committed premeditated murder, rapists and paedophiles, corrupt officials, those who have committed crimes against the foundations of Ukraine's national security, and those who have held a particularly responsible position cannot be mobilised into the Defence Forces.
• All other prisoners who could potentially be mobilised would be subject to the same condition: they must have no more than three years of their sentence left to serve.

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