In the Zaporizhzhia sector, 69% of the occupying forces' personnel have criminal records
In the Zaporizhzhia sector, Russian forces have sufficient troops and equipment with no signs of significant reinforcements; however, 69% of their personnel have criminal records. This was reported by Anastasia Shevchenko, spokesperson for the “South” Military Group.
The largest share of the occupying forces in this sector consists of soldiers aged 31 to 40—36%; another 31% are in the 21–30 age group, 24% are 41–50 years old, and 9% are 18–20 years old. The main motivating factor for 31% of Russian Armed Forces servicemen was to avoid criminal liability; 26% are serving under contract; 24% went to war to improve their financial situation; 13% joined through mobilization; and 6% were motivated by other reasons.
Source: Ukrinform.
As previously reported, the recruitment of male prisoners in the Russian Federation began in 2022 in penal colonies across Russia; They were promised 100,000–200,000 rubles per month, additional payments in case of injury, about 5 million rubles to their relatives if the recruit died, as well as amnesty after six months of war. But then Putin deceived the prisoners, who had agreed to fight in exchange for their release, and stopped signing amnesty decrees.
