A top Ukrainian official has accused Russia of recruiting women from penal colonies to fight in its war with Ukraine. Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence service, claimed that Moscow has been using female convicts for active battlefield duty, including combat units if needed. While these claims have not been independently verified, reports suggest that Russia has suffered severe casualties in Ukraine, with Kyiv reporting over 450,000 troops lost since the invasion began in February 2022. To refill its ranks, Russia has allegedly turned to recruiting inmates from penal colonies, with estimates indicating that over 100,000 convicts have been recruited to fight in Ukraine.
In response to reports of prisoners being recruited to fight, Russian dissident-in-exile Vladimir Osechkin, who heads the prisoners’ rights group Gulagu.net, stated that the Kremlin has been commuting sentences for convicts who fought in Ukraine. This practice has sparked a public backlash in Russia, with the Kremlin defending the program by claiming that prisoners atone for their crimes by fighting on the battlefield. Ukraine has previously accused Russia of sending female prisoners to war, citing the alleged existence of a train that transported “female convicts” to Russian forces in Donetsk region.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reported this information in March 2023, with Russia Behind Bars—an independent Russian prisons watchdog group—supporting Ukraine’s allegations. The Defense Ministry claimed that Russia was using alternative sources to replenish its manpower due to large losses in the war. While the exact role of these alleged female prisoner recruits is unknown, Yusov has now accused Russia of utilizing female convicts on the battlefield, noting that many of them do not return home alive. He claims that most of the women prisoners recruited by Russia have been killed or returned with serious injuries.
The recruitment of female prisoners by Russia highlights the dire situation faced by the Russian military in Ukraine, as it struggles to refill its ranks following severe casualties. The practice of using inmates from penal colonies has been one solution to address these losses, with reports indicating that Russia has been utilizing convicts for active duty on the battlefield. The Kremlin’s endorsement of commuting sentences for convicts who fight in Ukraine has caused a backlash in Russia, with critics questioning the morality and legality of using prisoners for military purposes. As the conflict in Ukraine continues, the recruitment of female convicts by Russia raises concerns about the treatment of prisoners and the ethical implications of using them as soldiers in a war.
