Former Ukrainian ministers, MPs, and judges will be reportedly allowed to swap prison time for military service
FILE PHOTO. © Global Look Press / Juan Moreno Former top Ukrainian officials convicted of crimes will be allowed to apply for military service in exchange for parole, the Judicial and Law Newspaper reported on Friday, citing a government decree. Anyone who takes up take the offer will have to serve with “specialized units,” it added. The measure expands a Ukrainian law adopted in May 2024 that allows convicts to join the military instead of doing time in prison. According to the decree, former officials who occupied “sensitive positions” before their convictions can now apply to join the army. The document also covers high-ranking officials in pre-trial detention and those currently under investigation. They can reportedly apply to serve as privates, sergeants, or even officers. The list of “sensitive positions” includes government ministers and their deputies, as well as MPs and high-ranking judges. According to the decree, they will only be allowed to serve in specially reserved units.
Read more Ukrainian law allows most convicts, including those found guilty of grave offenses, to apply for parole in exchange for military service. The few exceptions include anyone who has committed crimes against “the national security of Ukraine” and certain aggravated murder crimes, according to the media. The Ukrainian media reported in November 2024, citing a source in the General Staff, that a total of 7,000 inmates had expressed “willingness” to join the army, and that more than 6,000 of them had already served with the military or were serving at that time.
Read more Ukraine cannot replenish its military forces and its mobilization efforts have been blighted by widespread draft evasion, corruption, and desertion. Kiev reduced the draft age from 27 to 25 last spring, streamlined the conscription process, and increased the authority of enlistment officers. Kiev’s Western backers, including former US Secretry of State Anthony Blinken, demanded Kiev lowers its conscription age to 18. While Vladmir Zelensky has expressed skepticism about such a decision, the Ukrainian presidential administration’s deputy head, Colonel Pavel Palisa has also mooted the move, AP reported on Friday. Ukraine’s mobilization effort has grown increasingly violent and lawless over the course of the conflict with Russia, with numerous videos circulating online showing enlistment officers chasing potential recruits in the streets, fighting with them, and subjecting them to abuse. To address troop shortages, the government recently introduced pardons for deserters willing to return to the front and eased penalties for soldiers who go AWOL.
