INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Ukraine.Building upon a system pioneered by the Wagner mercenary group, the previously informal practice allows convicts a chance at
2023, recruited prisoners were already a regular presence on the Russian side of the front
Prigozhin appears to have provoked the government into taking over prison recruitment from Wagner, which halted such activities in February,
PMC Wagner are seen in Bakhmut.TASSNadezhda Nikolaevna, 79, from the Leningrad region town of Tikhvin, remembers a phone call she received
called me the next day and said he signed a contract
Debaltsevo in eastern Ukraine just two days after his recruitment
In less than a month, he was already at the frontline
but also the basic amenities he was promised
Radio Svoboda news outlets, this is a common fate for recruited inmates
relatives of the recruits and even their status as active military personnel
institutionalize penal military service.On June 24, lawmakers passed the first-ever law authorizing convicts to be enlisted into the Armed
While there was still no mention of the process of enlisting and pardoning such individuals, the law implies that penal military service is
military unit fighter.Solovyov LIVE / RutubeThis summer, Russian authorities also started reining in mercenaries by making them sign
contracts with the Defense Ministry
were assigned to the Storm-Z penal units upon signing a contract.Two events signaled the full legalization of penal military service and the
corresponding amnesties.On Nov
still failed to address the promises of freedom usually made to inmates upon recruitment.It turned out these promises were true, which we
heard updates from prosecutors in a long time
receive a pardon after their service.A sporadic occurrence at the beginning of the year, penal military service is now a widespread
of posts made by relatives of the recruited convicts.The exact number of convicts currently serving in the Russian Armed Forces is not clear
The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government
This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.We, the journalists
of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced
Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken
But we need your help to continue our critical mission.Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference
If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $1
It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent
