More than two years on from Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine is struggling to replenish its depleted military ranks.
According to the Ministry of Justice, 5,000 inmates have applied to join the military since the law was signed. Some are already undergoing basic training at a training ground in central Ukraine. Battalion commander Dmytro Kukharchuk speaks quietly but firmly. Holding his tattooed hands behind his back, he tells the men – all convicts – about his experience fighting for Ukraine in Bakhmut and Avdiivka.
Dato, 58, commands respect from his audience. His voice cuts through the yard and when he pauses, the silence is heavy. Dozens of prisoners hang on his every word. Some are standing outside in the yard; others are leaning out of the windows of their cells. His speech is peppered with prison slang. He speaks of honor, duty, and reputation. “This is your chance to rehabilitate yourself in the eyes of your children,” he tells them.
Kukharchuk told CNN the soldiers from his brigade have no issues with fighting alongside convicts. “How can you have a special attitude towards people who come to you, who will sit in the same trench with you, who will participate in assault operations with you and have your back?” he said. “This is a regular state military service with all the guarantees: salary, social insurance, payments in case of injury, death, and so on. This is a completely different story in terms of motives and mechanisms.”The convict recruits will be allowed the same family leave as other soldiers and will be entitled to the same salary but won’t receive the annual leave that is standard for other troops, according to the law.
“A person forcibly mobilized who did not want to go to the army sees it as a tragedy, and a deterioration in his living conditions. And you can expect desertion from this category much more than from a person for whom it is a rise in the social ladder, income, lifestyle, and respect. For prisoners, it is a rise in the social ladder.”
Dmytro told CNN that he grew up as an orphan and started stealing when he was young. He said that he believes prison teaches people how to survive in a tough environment, which means that former prisoners might be able to handle the pressures of the front lines better than ordinary civilians. Back at the prison, Kukharchuk and Dato select their recruits carefully. Sitting across from them in an interview room, they ask each of the volunteers about their background and their motivation. The brigade does not accept those who are over 50 years old, have any serious health problems or are physically unfit. Orphans, on the other hand, are immediately favored.
An Ontario man who bought a lottery ticket was thrilled to find out he won, but collecting his winnings turned out to be a challenge.The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously preserved access to a medication that was used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the U.S. last year, in the court's first abortion decision since conservative justices overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago.
A new analysis of ancient DNA from the ancient Maya city of Chichén Itzá in Mexico challenges long-held misconceptions about the victims of ritual sacrifice.More than five years after a massive data leak of personal information at Desjardins, Laval police announced Wednesday afternoon they have arrested three suspects.
'Nothing a little duct tape won't fix': Bear breaks into northern Ont. woman's car, destroys interior before taking nap Mayor Jyoti Gondek said two workers, involved in the work to replace a broken water main, were hurt on Wednesday night and work on the critical feeder main has halted until Thursday afternoon at the earliest.Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is set to speak on the province’s economic landscape and strategy, at an event in Calgary on Thursday.
VIA Rail says the schedule for its route between Halifax and Montreal is about to become longer due to track conditions and speed limitations in New Brunswick.Hit-and-miss rain totals were reported across the Maritimes on Wednesday, the result of the scattered coverage of showers and thunderstorms.As the first anniversary of the Carberry crash approaches, Manitoba RCMP provided an update on the investigation and how the first responders are doing a year later.
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