Russia plans to mobilize 40% of defendants to increase the army by 20,000
Illustrative photo: Russia wants to mobilize 40% of defendants to fight in Ukraine (Getty Images)
Russian authorities may send around 20,000 defendants from pre-trial detention centers to fight in the war in Ukraine, according to the Important Stories project.
Currently, it is known that approximately 60,000 defendants are held in Russian detention centers. About 40% of these defendants could be sent to Ukraine.
According to Important Stories, military personnel involved in recruiting for contracts with the Ministry of Defense have been tasked with analyzing how many defendants are fit for military service and how many are willing to sign contracts.
Lawyers working in Russia on criminal cases have reported that preparations are being made in detention centers to "unleash" defendants, meaning sending them to war.
Another source of the Important Stories project believes that about 100 defendants could be taken from each Russian detention center for the war. There are 210 pre-trial detention centers in Russia, indicating that around 20,000 individuals could be sent to the front. Preliminary data indicates that as of early 2024, there were 106,000 individuals in detention centers.
A source close to the General Staff revealed that sending 40% of defendants to war is "an official promise, possibly based on the experience of recruiting defendants and prisoners." The decision to send defendants to the special military operation indicates that the flow of prisoners is depleting, it is no longer the same as before.
Russia uses prisoners for the war against Ukraine
Russia began recruiting prisoners in the first year of the invasion, led by the founder of the Wagner Private Military Company, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Following his death, the National Guard started recruiting former Wagner fighters to strengthen its control.
Additionally, the Russian Ministry of Defense is recruiting women from prisons as stormtroopers and snipers, and recently, the State Duma allowed those convicted of rape to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense to fight against Ukraine.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that according to the Institute for the Study of War, Putin is not inclined to announce a new wave of mobilization in Russia, although he does not rule out such a possibility.
