In 2020, Vitaliy Yatsenko was arrested for picking up illegal amphetamines from a Kyiv post office. This week, he will cut short his five-year prison sentence to join Ukraine’s armed forces.
To address a critical need for fresh troops, Kyiv is now recruiting inmates from prisons, mirroring a strategy previously used by Russia. The government reports that 4,656 convicts have already applied for the program, where they will serve until the war ends to gain their freedom.
As the initial wave of volunteers diminishes and Ukraine loses ground against a much larger enemy, many front-line units are depleted and exhausted. The country is struggling to draft enough men to counter increasing Russian offensives. In its search for new soldiers, Ukraine has lowered the age of mobilization, increased financial compensation for troops, and pressured military-age men who fled abroad to return and fight.
Yatsenko, a 23-year-old inmate, will soon leave his prison cell to join the military. For men like him, this program offers a chance for redemption. “I feel ashamed to be in prison,” he said. “This is my chance to be useful.” He has yet to tell his mother, but he is motivated by a desire to make her proud.
Throughout history, convicts have often been used in wartime, usually in dangerous roles. Napoleon used penal brigades, and both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union drafted criminals and political prisoners. This practice faded after World War II, as the need for large-scale mobilization decreased.
The Ukraine war has revived this practice. Russia’s Wagner militia started recruiting convicts shortly after its invasion began to falter. Moscow continued the practice even after Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, rebelled against military leadership and died in a plane crash last year.
Ukraine’s program differs in some respects. Those convicted of certain crimes, such as sexual violence, fatal traffic accidents, and particularly cruel murders, are ineligible. This policy, stated by Deputy Justice Minister Оlena Vysotska, contrasts with Russia’s approach, where prisoners are often promised expunged records after service. In Ukraine, their criminal records will remain.
