In light of the severe lack of soldiers in the country’s front lines, the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday approved a law allowing certain prisoners to serve in the armed forces.
Kyiv, which had long resisted the policy and criticized Moscow for using captives to bolster its forces, recently changed its mind in response to new Russian military gains.
Before becoming operative, the law would require the signatures of President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Verkhovna Rada chairwoman.
“The parliament has voted ‘yes’,” MP Olena Shuliak, head of Zelensky’s party, said in a Facebook post.
“The draft law opens the possibility for certain categories of prisoners who expressed a desire to defend their country to join the Defence Forces,” she said.
Mobilization would only be available to specific types of inmates and be voluntary.
Those convicted of sexual assault, killing two or more people, major corruption, and being former high-ranking officials are among those who are ineligible to serve. stated Shuliak.
She said that only inmates with less than three years remaining on their sentence are eligible to apply. Instead of receiving a pardon, convicts who are mobilized are awarded parole.
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