Transforming convicted individuals into soldiers, Ukraine utilizes imprisoned citizens to engage against Russian troops.
Fifteen infantry troops from the 59th Brigade, belonging to the Shkval – or wind gust - battalion, are all ex-cons. They've done time for a variety of misdeeds and view their service to Ukraine as a way to make amends and start over, free of a criminal past.
The catch is that they're contracted to the military till the end of the conflict. There's also a substantial financial incentive: earnings span from $500 to $4,000 a month based on time spent in combat, as per Ukrainian defense ministry figures.
CNN obtained exclusive access to these new recruits last week, close to the strategic Donbas town of Pokrovsk. The area has become crucial lately as part of the near-600-mile contact line that's desperately lacking in men, ammunition, and faces an ever-pressing threat from better-equipped and vast Russian forces.
Among the recruits is Vitaly, a 41-year-old father-of-five hoping to maintain anonymity for security reasons. He served over a decade behind bars for various offenses, the most recent being grievous bodily harm.
Vitaly perches on a fallen tree stump, muttering about his wild past. He grew up surrounded by criminals, like himself and the rest of the unit.
Joining the Ukrainian Armed Forces offered an opportunity for Vitaly.
“I’m looking to move past my past. My life was a mess, I needed a change. It’s better to be useful here, to be part of a brotherhood and a different social circle,” he shared.
After a brief 21-day training, he's been fighting for three months. Vitaly has no regrets about joining the army, but he admits he was oblivious to the challenges awaiting him.
“Life is tough here, there’s fun – but I didn’t realize it would be this tough,” he admitted.
Life as an infantryman is incredibly risky with casualties significantly higher than other military units. Infantry troops face Russian drone attacks and plunge into enemy trenches as they cover vast tracts of land by foot.
Vitaly remembers a harrowing drone attack on a fellow soldier barely surviving.
“He was ripped apart. It’s difficult to watch… but what are you supposed to do? Leave him behind? Half of him is already lost,” he recalled.
In June, the defense ministry introduced a program granting prisoners the freedom to serve in the army upon the conclusion of the conflict.
Convicts with a history of rape or sexual violence are disqualified from enlisting. The majority of the ex-cons CNN encountered had served time for offenses like robbery or grievous bodily harm.
The Shkval battalion plan to petition for convicted murderers to join their ranks, as they believe they'll bring valuable battlefield skills.
Vitaly is part of 4,650 ex-inmates, including 31 women, who've been released and called up for military service, Ukraine's defense ministry revealed to CNN. A total of 5,764 ex-prisoners have expressed interest in serving. The ministry declined to share the current frontline count.
This inmate-to-combat initiative, along with conscription reforms, aim to bolster depleting Ukrainian forces following two-and-a-half years of relentless war. However, individuals spoken to along the frontline hinted at problems with the program, including inconsistent and abbreviated training periods. These difficulties, coupled with constant manpower shortages, hinder Ukraine's capacity to repel Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces, they warned.
With life on the frontline turning out to be more challenging than anticipated, Vitaly now wishes he'd paid closer attention during his rudimentary training. He feels it would've better prepared him for the reality of combat.
“We were careless, unwilling to learn. We weren’t responsible, a mistake to disregard our training,” he lamented.
Keeping order
Maintaining tranquility within the unit is Oleksandr, the company commander.
Former prison guard Oleksandr replaced his war-torn role when the conflict broke out in February 2022. Despite his resentment, he returns to his old position – but this time, on the battlefield.
“They see me as a former prison guard, as a comrade, as a commander – we all live as one family,” Oleksandr, who requested anonymity, shared, adding, “I am a psychologist, a father, a mother, everything.”
Alongside the 15 ex-cons already under his command, he's expecting 25 more from the former prison where he used to work.
Oleksandr explained that many ex-cons, like Vitaly, signed up due to a desire to transform themselves.
“Many of them were ashamed of their past, despised by their families because of their crimes. They have children who are told their father is a convict. When he joins the armed forces, he is no longer a convict but a hero,” Oleksandr explained.
While stationed with CNN in Pokrovsk, we encountered an anonymous officer voicing concerns. He indicated that soldiers' spirits were dropping due to the redirection of superior Western weaponry towards the Kursk incursion. The troops were losing motivation, and both light and armored vehicles were becoming scarce, making logistics and evacuations more difficult. Furthermore, they'd refused to cooperate with a freshly drafted brigade due to their low morale and unwillingness to engage in combat.
However, morale might be Ukraine's saving grace in Pokrovsk, as Russian forces concentrate on the town.
As twilight fell in the town, the crowds dispersed, and the bombardment commenced.
Russian forces were just 8 kilometers (5 miles) away, as per a September 10 map from DeepState, a group tracking Russian forces' advance in Ukraine that has ties to Ukraine's security services.
Pokrovsk is crucial for supplying eastern Ukrainian forces resisting Russian troops' encroachment. Seizing Pokrovsk would be a significant win for Putin, potentially allowing him to assert control over the entire Donetsk region. This could lead to a retreat of Ukrainian forces from Chasiv Yar, and the frontline moving closer to the larger cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
Despite the grim situation, Oleksandr believed his troops had an edge due to their unique background.
"The convict subculture excels at surviving in harsh conditions. This includes physical resilience, mental fortitude, deviousness, and strategic thinking, typically superior to that of ordinary civilians."
The Shkval battalion is considering petitioning to allow convicted murderers to join their ranks, believing they will bring valuable battlefield skills to Europe, where Ukraine is currently facing a significant threat from Russian forces across the world.
Despite the challenging life on the frontline, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to attract ex-cons like Vitaly, who are seeking a fresh start and a chance to contribute positively to society in Europe.
