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Ukrainian lawmakers are pushing for a bill that would allow prisoners to serve in the military.
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The bill aims to increase combat forces while excluding people imprisoned for certain serious crimes.
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The move comes as Ukraine struggles with a soldier shortage given Russia’s larger military.
Ukrainian lawmakers are advancing a bill that would allow prisoners to serve in the Ukrainian military and fight on the front lines against Russia.
The first bill submitted to the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday provides for the release of prisoners on parole for military service during the period of martial law and mobilization, Army Inform reports.
This bill was adopted in first reading with the support of 281 officials in the hope of boosting recruitment and giving detainees the opportunity to “correct and fulfill their duty to repel armed aggression against Ukraine.”
However, not every prisoner is qualified for mobilization.
Those in prison must undergo a mental evaluation and a medical examination. They cannot participate if they have been convicted of crimes such as terrorism, murder of two or more people, sexual violence, drunk driving resulting in homicide, or national security crimes.
“These changes make the state more stable and the army stronger in the fight against the enemy,” Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said in February. The bill has undergone numerous changes since it was first proposed in December, and further changes are expected.
MP Jaroslaw Zhelezniak told Reuters that there would likely be further changes to prevent corruption before the final reading.
The Ukrainian military is experiencing a dangerous shortage of available soldiers on the battlefield. It has struggled to maintain a strong position against Russia’s much larger military as more soldiers are wounded and killed while fewer potential replacements enter the recruiting pipeline. The Ukrainian parliament took several steps this week to address this issue.
Lawmakers passed measures to simplify conscription ahead of possible mobilization, and demobilization plans that would have allowed soldiers to return home after extended deployments were cut by Ukraine’s parliament this week.
“This is demotivating and demoralizing for the military,” an artillery soldier told CNN.
In addition to the decisive human resources advantages, Russia also has a lead in industrial capacity and war material. U.S. diplomats and military officials said Russia had almost “fully restored” its forces, returning their capabilities almost to the level at which they began the invasion, even after suffering heavy losses.
Ukraine is now awaiting not only much-needed aid from the US, but also more recruits as the bill allowing detainees to join the military moves through parliament.
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