At a time when troops involved in the conflict are exhausted, Russia has invested in recruiting women in prison. The government pays candidates 10 times the minimum wage.
Follow our live blog about the War in Ukraine
The Russian Federation reportedly released an unknown number of women serving prison sentences to join the army on the front lines of the war in Ukraine. The measure was implemented at the end of May, according to former inmates who maintain contact with other women serving sentences in a prison near St. Petersburg.
The initiative could symbolize a new phase of the Russian offensive, characterized by an increase in the recruitment of citizens convicted of committing crimes, with a view to increasing the intensity of operations on Ukrainian soil, according to the American newspaper New York Times (New York).
In 2022, at the beginning of the invasion, some 30,000 women were serving sentences in Russian prisons.
After one year of pardons and guarantee of payment of salaries to Russian criminalsIn exchange for military service, the Russian government will promote the recruitment of women to fight against Ukrainian forces. A round of recruitment had already been carried out in women’s prisons last fall, but membership had then yielded few significant results, former and current inmates told the American newspaper.
Still, also considering the recruitment of men from prisons in the Russian Federation, the Washington Post reports that thousands of these prisoners ended up dying in military operations. Others returned to Russia in complete freedom, including some who had been convicted (and were serving time) of murder.
The proposal for hiring women would include a salary of 2 thousand dollars per month (a value 10 times higher than the minimum wage in the region) and Military positions such as snipers, combat medics and radio operators. on the front line for a year. Of the 400 inmates at the prison near St. Petersburg, about 40 signed up, despite the associated dangers, two former inmates highlighted in an interview with the NYT.
Putin says Russian women serve country ‘with dignity’ in conflicts
The lack of humanitarian conditions, the resulting effort of forced labor and the strict prison rules motivated many of the women to accept the proposal, the interviewees concluded. Former fellow prisoners said they worked up to 12 hours a day in the prison sawmill, even in the middle of winter, with sub-zero temperatures.
The release occurred at a time when The Russian government has been trying to attract more and more volunteers. to include army lists. Both debtors, those accused of crimes and foreigners are in the crosshairs of this initiative, states the American newspaper.
Neither the Defense Ministry nor the Russian penitentiary service commented. or mentioned the event.
Ukraine has also adhered to this strategy, previously excluded by kyiv. Last month, the Ukrainian government authorized the candidacy of convicts to join the national military troops, given the acute shortage of fighters. As in the Russian case, thousands of prisoners have applied.
Source: Observadora
