Nearly 7,000 convicted individuals have already joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Another 1,300 are undecided about which unit to choose. This information was reported by Kontrakty.UA.
The Ministry of Justice informed TSN about this. The law allowing inmates to enlist directly from prison has been in effect since May of last year. According to this law, prisoners can only go to fight voluntarily. At the same time, combat units are very interested in such special contingents.
In an exclusive interview with TSN, the Hero of Ukraine and commander of the 225th separate assault battalion, Oleg Shiryayev, shared that in his unit, former convicts make up almost half of the personnel, which is the highest proportion in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"They are just like everyone else. The first ones released conditionally early are on par in terms of motivation with those who went to fight at the beginning of the war. In other words, these are people with a very normal level of patriotism. These are their personal decisions. No one is taking convicts and forcing them by the hand into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," says Oleg Shiryayev.
How do the rights of conditionally released individuals differ from those of conscripts?
"They have no right to leave. Everything else is essentially the same. They also receive a salary, military clothing, equipment, medical care, and so on. Their service period is equivalent to the time spent in a correctional facility. If they are injured, it counts as a month for two. We had a case where a person had only 5 days left to serve, as they say, until the bell. So, the person went to the army. And he is not worried about it at all. He says he wanted to join the army, he wanted to fight.
This idea of having convicts join the Armed Forces of Ukraine emerged right from the beginning of the full-scale war. I was one of the initiators of this idea.
When this bill came into real effect, we quickly began receiving personnel. Both the courts and the prosecutor's office understand that they are indeed needed at the front. Let's face the truth that at the moment, those who are rounded up by the TCC are quite unmotivated to serve in the military," says Oleg Shiryayev.
Have there been cases of misconduct among conditionally released individuals?
"In my 225th separate assault battalion, we have the largest number of convicts in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This means we have the largest contingent of this special group. We know how to work with them. We have had cases, but they are not widespread.
In reality, someone might break down psychologically. Some may have initially intended to take this opportunity to gain freedom and then escape. Of course, such cases exist. But together with the military law enforcement service, we detect these cases, monitor them, and return them back to the Armed Forces of Ukraine," says Oleg Shiryayev.
Who among the convicts do you refuse to contract?
"From the very beginning of the selection of the special contingent, we have refrained from accepting those who are guided by criminal traditions in their lives. They cannot be managed a priori, so we do not select such candidates.
Of course, we refuse if there are certain disabilities, specific illnesses, or decisions made by the military medical commission. There are attempts to escape, meaning they are prone to escape. We refuse such individuals. Additionally, when selecting the special contingent, we naturally communicate with the leadership of the penitentiary system. Based on their operational information and experience, we make our decisions," says Oleg Shiryayev.
What positions can conditionally released individuals hold?
"Regarding positions for the special contingent, quoting our president, it does not matter what a person did before 2022. What matters is what they are doing now for Ukraine as a whole. Therefore, I tell the special contingent that in my capacity, I promise that if they steadfastly hold their positions, participate in assault actions, and demonstrate bravery, I will do everything possible to help them advance in their service. Among them are guys who have received military ranks of junior sergeant, and there are those who have received state awards. There are also those who have received departmental awards. There are truly brave and heroic individuals among them.
While recruiting the special contingent, we say that nothing good awaits them. But if you truly understand: yes, it’s difficult, but I have taken an oath to the Ukrainian people, and it states that I vow never to betray the Ukrainian people, it means you must be ready to sacrifice the most precious thing, your life," says Oleg Shiryayev.