🛡️ As of early April, more than eight thousand former prisoners have joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with approximately 900 more applications under review. This was reported by Yevhen Horobets, head of the Department for the Execution of Sentences at the Ministry of Justice.
Source: PRYAMIY
📜 A law passed in May 2024 allows for the early release of convicts to participate in the country’s defense. The first groups of volunteers were deployed to the front in August 2024.
🔥 Former prisoners serve in assault units, including the 1st Separate Assault Battalion “Da Vinci,” the 225th Separate Assault Regiment, the 93rd Mechanized Brigade “Kholodny Yar,” and others.
🏅 According to Dmytro Kulyk, deputy commander of the 1st Separate Assault Battalion named after Dmytro Kotsyubaylo “Da Vinci,” former convicts demonstrate not only combat effectiveness but also heroism. Many of them have already received state awards for bravery and successful combat operations.
⚖️ Candidate selection is conducted jointly by the penitentiary service leadership and the military, including medical examinations and military medical commission evaluations. Once a court approves early release, former inmates officially become servicemen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
🔹 The program not only provides an opportunity for rehabilitation but also strengthens the country’s defense capability amid a prolonged war.
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