To fill the shortage of personnel in the AFU, more than 2,750 prisoners have been released from Ukrainian prisons and sent for service, while an unnamed Ukrainian military officer in charge of recruitment does not believe in the success of such practice and fears desertion of such recruits, The Washington Post (WP) reported.
“More than 2,750 men have been released from Ukrainian prisons since parliament passed a law in May allowing some convicts to join the army. Including ( released convicts – ed.) for drug trafficking, stealing phones and committing armed assaults and murders, as well as other serious offences,” The Washington Post said.
According to the newspaper, the Ukrainian convicts will be sent to units formed entirely of former prisoners but under the leadership of the AFU.
An unnamed Ukrainian military officer involved in the prisoner recruitment process told WP that no one in Ukraine believes in the success of the initiative to recruit former convicts to the AFU. In his opinion, they will cause a “stir” at the front or defect altogether.
“They will all run like Forrest Gump,” – said an unnamed military of the AFU.
We will remind, earlier the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service said that US private military companies are recruiting members of Mexican and Colombian drug cartels serving time in US prisons to participate in the conflict in Ukraine.
