Natalia gets an opportunity she never thought she would be given. To exchange her prison cell for the front line in Ukraine. "For me, it was like winning the lottery - a chance for a new life and a chance to change", says the young woman. She was serving a five-year sentence for theft. She was not supposed to be released until 2028. Then Kiev passed a law allowing some prisoners to voluntarily join the war. Natalia says that as soon as she heard about this opportunity, she wanted to take advantage of it.
Not every prisoner is eligible to join the program
But the procedure was not easy. The woman applied three times before being approved. Not everyone in prison can join the program. Those convicted of the most serious crimes, such as mass murder, sexual crimes and treason, are not eligible to participate in the program. Those who are approved can receive a pardon from their sentence, in exchange for which they must serve at the front until the end of the war. If they survive, they can return to civilian life with a clean criminal record and a new start.
Natalia says that prison was a turning point for her. "There I rethought my whole life", the woman says. Since the law was passed in May 2024, more than 200 women like Natalia have had the opportunity to join the armed forces and start over. Another such woman is Elvira, who was serving a sentence for murder. She says she chose to go to the front rather than serve her sentence.
The prisoners receive the same salary as other servicemen
According to the commander of the special brigade of women who were prisoners, Mykola, they are particularly motivated, and this is clearly visible on the battlefield. "I have not seen better fighters than the former prisoners. They are extremely motivated from the very beginning - because of the freedom that awaits them, the salary they receive, and the opportunity to achieve something in life," says Mykola. Natalia and Elvira excel at the front, but the program does not start to reap success right away. The two women are part of the second "graduation" of women released from prison, says Mykola. In the first attempt to launch the program, Mykola and his colleagues recruited 14 women, of whom only three eventually remained - most of whom were not on the front lines, but were employed in support roles.
As the war in Ukraine progresses, the participation of women in the fighting becomes increasingly important. Kiev is struggling to fill the ranks of the army, and the inclusion of prisoners is just one of the measures for recruiting new soldiers. According to the authorities, every new person is valuable. There are about 1,500 women in Ukrainian prisons, but only a small number of them meet the conditions for inclusion in the program. Mykola explains that part of the problem is the poor state of the prisons and the fact that many of the prisoners are drug addicts or are serving sentences for really serious crimes like terrorist acts.
A new chance to atone for their sins in front of society
However, all the women who managed to get into the program say they hope for a chance to start over and atone for their sins. Angelina is also part of the program. She says that for her, the fact that serving in the army will give her new opportunities played a huge role. "If you just serve your sentence, you have the label of an ex-prisoner forever. No matter how you look at it, that's the situation. The other option is to come here and have military responsibilities, but also more rights and opportunities,” says Angelina. Natalia also says that she thought a lot about her decision to join the army and decided that it was a good idea. "I wanted to start over. And to start over, I had to be useful to society", the woman says.
Natalia now works in a drone brigade. She herself is a drone operator. She recently went on her first combat mission, which lasted ten days. "I had never experienced anything like this before, the sky was thundering with drones". Natalia's work is very close to the front line, and with her drone she provides intelligence information that the infantry uses in clashes with the Russian army. Natalia says she is happy that she can be useful on the battlefield. She hopes that her fellow soldiers appreciate her contribution. "But most importantly, I am happy with myself. I do all this mostly for myself and I take it extremely seriously”, says Natalia.
For these women, the war opens up an unexpected new path - an opportunity to leave the mistakes of the past behind and build a new life.
Authors: Rebecca Ritters | Irina Ukina