Russia wants to allow more prisoners to fight against Ukraine
The Russian government has submitted bills to the State Duma that expand the list of convicts who will be allowed to enter into contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense to participate in the war against Ukraine.
Specifically, the authorities are proposing to lift restrictions on individuals convicted under a number of articles, including cash smuggling, participation in a criminal gang, unlawful interference with the operation of critical infrastructure, violations of industrial safety requirements, illegal handling of nuclear materials, organizing illegal migration, smuggling of strategic goods and narcotics, as well as the loss of documents containing state secrets.
The publication notes that as early as 2022, Russia allowed the mobilization of convicts for most serious crimes, and subsequently, individuals under investigation or awaiting trial were also granted the right to sign contracts with the military.
According to the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation, as of May 2026, there were 282,000 inmates in Russian prisons—the lowest figure since the early 2000s. One of the reasons cited for this decline is the active involvement of convicts in the war against Ukraine.
Source: The Moscow Times.
Casualties among Russian occupation forces in the full-scale war against Ukraine have begun to outpace the rate of mobilization efforts in the Russian Federation.
Russia may mobilize more than 500,000 people this fall. Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, reported on these plans by the aggressor country. According to him, the Russian command plans to send some of the mobilized troops to the front almost immediately, while others will be prepared for the possible opening of a new front.
