From Prisons to Frontlines, Ukraine’s Convicts Join the Fight

The military camp looks no different from any other in Donbas. Tarp tents, improvised kitchen, uniforms. Kuzma, an officer of the 5th Assault Brigade, greets us with a big smile and rushes to introduce his unit. Kuzma knows each and everyone’s story here. After President Zelenskyy signed a bill allowing convicts to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces, he traveled for months from prison to prison in search of new recruits.

According to the Ministry of Justice, 46,000 people are serving sentences in Ukrainian prisons. That includes women, children, and those who do not meet the required criteria to sign a contract with the army. For example, those with HIV, tuberculosis, and various kinds of hepatitis. Then, the applicant must not have committed certain crimes. For example, crimes against the national security of Ukraine or being convicted of a serious case of corruption criminal, rape, and murder of two or more people.

But not all those that meet the criteria on paper are really meant for war, says Kuzma. “I'm very straightforward with all candidates about what kind of job they will be doing.” The job—assaulting enemy positions—is essentially the most brutal thing a human can do. Killing. Apart from motivation, skills, and fitness, Kuzma needs to see a certain spark in the eyes of a man before he invites him to join. If both sides agree, then it’s up to a court to decide if the convict will be pardoned. Depending on the brigade, former prisoners will undergo from 40 to 60 days of training. Ex-convicts will have to serve one year on probational terms, meaning they won’t have a regular yearly vacation. However, they are granted ten days off for family or personal reasons.  

For Kuzma, as soon as the men put on the uniform, they become equals. “We do not use terms like prisoners or ex-convicts. Their past is of no interest to us; they have potential, and it’s up to us to create an environment where the guys will thrive. We understand that these guys are already traumatized enough by a strict hierarchical prison system. The Army is also a system based on subordination. So we try to find a compromise and make them feel comfortable so as not to ick them off straight from the start.”

“Greek” and “Tourist” are sitting on a wood log, casually cleaning their AK-74s, both seem somewhat bored and impatient at the same time. “Greek” looks like he jumped out from the mobilisation promo campaign—tall, handsome, his arms are covered in tattoos. Next to him is Tourist, a not so tall, sturdy man wearing his signature panama hat, that he rarely takes off.

“Greek” and “Tourist” shared the same cell in prison and were convicted of the same crime—a car accident resulting in death. Greek, aged 28, met the full-scale invasion at his home in Chernihiv oblast. When Russian troops occupied his village, he did not want to simply witness their atrocities. Together with his neighbors, they turned into partisans and managed to destroy a Russian Grad munition depot. After his home was liberated, he joined the Army and served in the anti-tank unit, fighting in Bakhmut. He was behind the wheel on a day when the brakes stopped working, leading to the death of his commander and multiple injuries to another passenger. Despite the pledges from victims’ families, and also the car expertise, proving it was not “Greek’s” fault, but rather a faulty vehicle, he was still found guilty of a manslaughter. He got four years in jail. “During my nine months in jail, I waited for this law to pass. Somehow, I had a feeling I was not going to be in jail for long. I dreamed of becoming a stormtrooper and meeting my enemies face to face, nothing else.”

At first, “Greek” and “Tourist” didn’t believe that regular brigades would hire them. Based on some speculation on the topic and a vivid example of a similar practice in Russia, like with Wagner or  Storm-Z, the guys were sure they would be sent to some sort of punishment unit. “We were okay with that; we just really wanted to join the fight,” says Tourist. “I could have just stayed away; I had three months left before my release.”

After the interview, Kuzma rushes us to meet the battalion commander “Dolphin.” We moved to the battalion command post. In the room full of monitors, we see a man with his eyes glued to the monitors. The first thing that we notice is the tiredness of the man who had to create a properly functioning battalion from scratch in just two months. He was now watching his soldiers assaulting Russian positions on the outskirts of Chasiv Yar in real time. “When I first met them, my only reaction was “Oh wow.” They were all healthy and fit men, but to be honest, I couldn’t take my eyes off their tattoos. This day, I barely remember. There was a flood of questions from the guys and lots of organizing. I tried to remember the guys by their tattoos or hats, but it was chaos. The next day, when they received the uniform, I realized that they were soldiers, and now I’m responsible for them”.

The battalion’s companies are spread between different sectors; some are fighting in Chasiv Yar, others in Toretsk. The companies are attached to other brigades as reinforcement. “What we are achieving is truly remarkable. We are managing and successfully launching assaults, passing through enemies’ defenses, and taking up their positions. Of course, there are casualties. There are losses, but that's inevitable in war.”

Leaving the training camp, men like Greek and Tourist, seem eager to join the fight. Although the risks are high, they, like many others, took the chance to gain retribution and glory.