The Ukrainian convicts swapping jail for the front line

Criminal Colony No. There is no easy way out at 4.

This is a medium -security prison, but thick iron doors and imposing white walls on top with a prickly wire give him a more “maximum” feeling.

Inside Andrii Military and Roma Czech: Both convict drug dealers who have managed to find early escape routes.

They successfully applied to join the ranks of the Ukrainian army. They will go through one month of training and fight until the war is over.

“I can’t imagine what it’s like to kill a man, I just saw it in movies,” Andrii confesses.

Leaving the prison is clearly the motivation of the 30 -year -old child. But he also wants to return to society as a citizen who contributes rather than a conviction.

Since the establishment of a new law last year, more than 10,000 prisoners, including killers, joined the Ukrainian army. However, they are convicted of the most serious crimes, such as more than one murder, sexual violence, corruption and betrayal.

“Not everyone will enter the front, not everyone later,” he says.

“I would have a lifetime as a convict, but if I served, I would be a soldier,” he says with a quiet focus.

For the 36 -year -old child, not only rehabilitation, but also revenge.

“My sister would be 21 now,” he explains. “A Russian missile was killed in 2023 when he hit his house in Kharkiv.”

“Most importantly, I want to take his revenge.”

According to the government, most of the prisoners who registered were voluntary for the infantry they participated in the intense war.

They will also enter a new attack power announced by President Volodymyr Zelensky in September. When traditional experts such as sailors or parachutists become increasingly unnecessary in the modern war area, this new unit will throw Russian positions with the help of drones.

In order to taste freedom, some of the most dangerous parts of the front line will have to fight for an uncertain time.

They won’t all succeed. According to the governor of the penal colony number 4, half of the thousand prisoners who have so far have already died.

The transformed farm buildings in southern Ukraine do for a modest military base, but for about 30 wounded soldiers, it is a pleasant relief here.

All former prisoners returned from East Battlefields. 37 -year -old Oleksii was fighting in Velyka Novosilka when he was subjected to a serious -looking leg injury.

“We were shot by artillery, mortar tours and drooping bombs.” “I didn’t expect most of my comrades to be killed.”

Oskii was sentenced to eight years in prison for drug trafficking before he became a volunteer to fight. When he is perched on the bearing bed, he tells me why prisoners think they made better soldiers than mobilized civilians.

“The hard ones have to take them away from their mother’s chest!” he shouts.

“We know how to fight! We know how to fight very well!”

A velcro badge and passport pile that was torn from the arms and pockets of the dead Russian soldiers brought back from the front.

“I have an important Russian head and I helped hundreds of wounded comrades.”

He also says that there are 47 pieces of wraps from the shrapnel in front of his body. Previously, he fought in the Russian border region of Kursk as part of the Ukrainian attack.

Before that, he was a career thief.

After about four years of Russia’s full -scale invasion, you are accustomed to meeting the troops spent on the front for months or even years, as they fight to include Russian progress.

Not here. There is a deep sense of patriotism and high morale with a durable relief in relieving from prison cells.

After leaving the prison, they admit many former prisoner deserts, but claim that the majority wants to play the role.

Andrii says, “I have done many bad work for this country.” “There is a price for payment for everything. I will only go back to the job I’m good: fight.”

“I have skills too,” Oleksii giggles. “I know how to kill. I just won’t be convicted here.”

With the adoption of the soldiers who control the convicts, these men will need “great luck” to survive until the end of the war. Nevertheless, they apparently did not want to be elsewhere.

Russia was criticized when he evacuated his own prisons at the beginning of the war. At least 200,000 people participated in the struggle for tasks described as “Meatgraders”.

Does Evhen Pikalo, Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine, admit that the country is doing the same thing?

“There is a huge difference: the Russians are paid per hundred meters per hundred meters and the Ukrainians are guided by patriotic feelings.”

Mr. Pikalo sees himself as a reformer in his department and wants Ukraine to focus more on rehabilitation instead of punishment when it comes to criminals.

“Our main goal is to revive, to give them a chance. These people have nothing to do with the exploitation of security vulnerabilities.”

“This is all an opportunity for defending and protecting our country.”

On the morality of allowing the murderers to go out after some of his sentences, Mr. Pikalo stressed that there was no amnesty, but they were released conditionally.

“Of course we have an emotional component here, but for the families of some victims, sentences are never enough, even if there is no war.”

With the passing of time, the motivated men become difficult for Ukraine to find. Always distant peace, his search will only go deeper.

Volodymyr Lozhko, Rebecca Hartmann and Anastasiia Levchenko