A major Ukrainian formal stated Russia has been actively recruiting women of all ages from penal colonies to battle in its war with Ukraine.
Andriy Yusov, spokesman for Ukraine’s armed service intelligence assistance (GUR), explained to the Kyiv Article in a tale released on Friday that Moscow’s forces have been using the female convicts for lively battlefield duty.
“We are not only speaking about auxiliary models, but overcome units as very well, if required,” Yusov claimed.
Newsweek could not independently confirm the promises made by Yusov, and the Russian Ministry of Protection was contacted on Friday evening by using electronic mail for remark.
Image by Wojciech Grzedzinski/Anadolu through Getty Photos
Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s armed service has endured severe casualties in Ukraine, with Kyiv reporting Moscow has dropped extra than 450,000 troops considering the fact that the invasion was introduced in February 2022. Studies have prolonged prompt Russia has struggled to refill its ranks from these losses, and the practice of using prison inmates has been a single alternative.
In December, Russian dissident-in-exile Vladimir Osechkin—head of a prisoners’ legal rights groups named Gulagu.net—told Newsweek his analysis showed Russia has recruited around 100,000 convicts from penal colonies to fight in Ukraine given that the start of the war.
Soon after Russian media described the Kremlin was commuting jail sentences for convicts who fought in Ukraine, a public backlash commenced in Russia. Sooner or later, the Kremlin was compelled to defend the plan.
“They [prisoners] atone with blood for crimes on the battlefield, in assault brigades, below bullets, below shells,” Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov instructed reporters on November 10.
Kyiv has earlier accused Russia of sending feminine prisoners to war. In March 2023, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claimed on the alleged existence of a prepare that introduced “feminine convicts” to Russian forces in the country’s Donetsk location. Russia Driving Bars, an independent Russian prisons watchdog team, backed Ukraine’s allegations.
“From the background of massive losses of staff in the war, the enemy works by using option resources of replenishment of manpower,” Ukraine’s Protection Ministry posted on Telegram at the time. “Final 7 days, the motion of a train with very first-class carriages for the transportation of prisoners was famous towards the Donetsk area. One particular of the cars contained woman prisoners.”
The purpose of those alleged feminine prisoner recruits is not identified, but Yusov now accuses Russia of employing woman convicts on the battlefield. He also explained to the Kyiv Put up that couple of these troops ever return residence alive.
“Most of the women of all ages prisoners recruited by Russia have been killed or returned with really serious injuries,” Yusov explained.
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