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Video length: 3 min
War in Ukraine: Prisoners go to fight
War in Ukraine: Prisoners go to fight
(franceinfo)
Ukraine still lacks weapons and soldiers to counter the Russian army. So the authorities have decided to grant amnesty to prisoners if they agree to go into combat.
Near kyiv (Ukraine), a penitentiary center with prisoners serving their sentences behind the walls. Two men have just learned that they will be released because they agreed to join the front to fight the Russians. They are ready to defend their homeland. Soon, they will wear the uniform of the Ukrainian army, like former prisoners who have been granted parole. Today, they are training like real soldiers. At the end of their training, they will be sent to the eastern front, where the fighting is most intense. They will then join a special unit: the 92nd Assault Brigade, a renowned battalion.
These are reinforcements that are highly anticipated because, on the front, the Ukrainian military is struggling to contain the Russian assaults. Lack of weapons and men to replace troops worn out by more than two years of war. This is why kyiv adopted a law last May allowing repeat offenders to enlist, in exchange for an amnesty. Since then, 5,000 prisoners have reportedly joined the ranks of the army after obtaining a new status.
