Ukrinform reported that the Director of the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice's Judgment Enforcement Department, Mr. Tevhen Horobets, said that more than 8,000 people have been sentenced, including both men and women, to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces and that about 900 other files are currently being considered.
According to Mr. Horobets, the wave of those who were sentenced to military service began to flourish in August 2024, after the law allowing temporary release of prisoners to serve national defense was passed by the Ukrainian parliament in May 2024.
The Department of the School revealed that most of the prisoners were allocated to units such as the No. 1 attack brigade "Da Vinci", the attacking Regiment No. 225, the attacking Brigade No. 92, the Mechanical Brigade No. 93 "KhoLodnyi Yar", the attacking Brigade No. 95, the 3rd attack brigade, and some other special forces of Ukrainian security and defense forces of Ukrainian.
Mr. Horobets said that this was not only seen as an opportunity for those who had committed the crime to atone but also to prove their loyalty to Ukraine, while emphasizing the urgency of adding forces in the front line area.
Mr. Horobets said that his agency regularly coordinates with commanders of units receiving released prisoners to support prisoners in grasping practical needs from the battlefield, including skills, expertise, training time, service position and working conditions. This ensures that prisoners can make informed military service decisions.
Among the 8,000 prisoners who volunteered to go to the front line, many of them were awarded industry medals and state medals for their many achievements on the front line.
Deputy Commander of the No. 1 Assault Brigade "Da Vinci", Mr. Dmytro Kulyk said that the former prisoners were not only good at fighting but also very brave, whether male or female. Their fighting momentum is extremely high, Kulyk said.
Mr Kulyk called the conscripts "special subjects" and pledged to treat them as equally as normal soldiers.
According to the Ukrainian Enforcement Agency, the success of the program depends largely on the actions of detention facilities, including initial health check-ups, support for taking prisoners to civil health facilities for examination, and coordination with military representatives to assess service capacity.
Another key point is to complete legal procedures as soon as possible. On the day the court decides to grant temporary amnesty, a person who was sentenced will become a soldier, with almost all the rights and obligations of all other soldiers, with only a few small limits.
