Ukrainian authorities expect that the law on the voluntary mobilization of prisoners, signed on early by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, will help attract about 15,000 people to the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (Ukrainian Armed Forces), Minister of Justice Denys Malyuska announced in an interview with the "Financial Times", writes BTA.
According to him, at the first stage, about 5,000 convicts are expected to join the Ukrainian army, but this number "under the most favorable conditions" can be tripled. VSU commanders have already visited colonies and prisons in search of soldiers, Malyuska noted.
The Minister of Justice reported that 2,872 people who wished to join the VSU were released from prison, and a total of 5,196 prisoners applied for it. At the same time, 368 convicts were refused due to inadequate health.
Malyuska claims that the first released prisoners have already been sent to training centers where they are undergoing training that will last at least two months. By the end of the summer, they will be sent to the front line, he added.
The law allowing the mobilization of prisoners as part of the VSU was signed by Zelensky on May 17.