Volunteering for War: Ukraine’s New Approach to Address Soldier Shortage in the Face of Russia’s Aggression

Ukraine is facing a shortage of soldiers due to Russia’s war of aggression, and as a result, the parliament in Kiev has made the decision to allow certain prisoners to volunteer for military service. However, there are exceptions to this policy, as serious criminals such as murderers, rapists, drug dealers, and those convicted of corruption or crimes against national security are not eligible.

To address the soldier shortage at the front, Ukraine has implemented new laws that allow prisoners with sentences of up to three years to volunteer for military service. This is a departure from past practices where tens of thousands of prisoners were mobilized and released from their sentences to serve in the military during Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Some of these released prisoners went on to commit violent crimes again.

MP Olena Schuljak explained that prisoners who volunteer for military service will serve in separate units under guard. Their service will not end at the completion of their sentence but rather at the end of their contract or a general demobilization. In addition to this policy change, Ukraine has also taken steps to lower the conscription age and improve the registration of men liable for military service in an effort to address the shortage of soldiers.