Ukraine needs 200,000 troops by the end of the year to hold off Russia in the war that began in 2022Kiev is struggling with a chronic shortage of men that is complicating operations at the front, where pressure from Moscow’s forces remains constant, especially along the eastern flank, in Donetsk.
The (failed) plan: to enlist 50,000 men every 3 months
From Germany, Die Welt offers a picture of the emergency that Kiev will have to manage in the coming months: by the end of 2024, according to the German newspaper, The country led by President Volodymyr Zelensky must mobilize 200,000 people.
Ukraine must fill the gaps in the departments and create new brigades: according to the newspaper’s estimates, the call to arms must involve at least 50 thousand men every 3 months. In the last period, however, the war machine has not marched at the established pace, despite the launch of a law to expand the staff of the armed forces. To recover the gap, in the second half of 2024 a further effort is needed.
Prisoners at the front, but not those who committed 2 murders
In this context, the Kiev authorities have decided to release prisoners in Ukrainian prisons if they agree to take up arms against the Russians. A conditional release that also applies to those who are in prison for having committed a murderbut not if he or she killed two or more people. Rapists, sexual assaults, or national security crimes are also excluded. According to estimates by the Ukrainian Justice Ministry, about 27,000 out of a total of 42,000 inmates could potentially be eligible for the new military program.
The decision to increase the number of men in the Ukrainian army responds to the need to cope with growing losses on the battlefield and the need to rest the troops on the front lines. For the first time, recruitment efforts have been directed at the country’s prison population.
Prisoners can then obtain conditional release after an interview with army recruiters, a medical examination and a review of their conviction. Once selected, Probationers are rushed to training campswhere they learn to handle weapons and other combat techniques before joining their units. The Ukrainian program aims to integrate prisoners into regular front-line units, unlike the Russian plan, which involves sending prisoners to fight in the worst battles or join the Wagner Group.
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