Since the beginning of April, more than 8,000 former prisoners – men and women – have joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and about 900 more applications are currently being considered, Yevhen Horobets, head of the Department for the Execution of Sentences at the Ministry of Justice, told Ukrinform.
After the Ukrainian parliament adopted a law on May 8, 2024, allowing for pardon and early release of prisoners in exchange for participation in the defense of Ukraine, the first volunteers joined the combat units in August 2024.
On the day the court makes a decision on early release, the former prisoner becomes a serviceman in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and has, with minor restrictions, the same rights and obligations as other soldiers, the agency recalls.
Most of those released early have joined the ranks of the 1st Separate Assault Battalion “Da Vinci”, the 225th Separate Assault Regiment, the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade, the 93rd Mechanized Brigade “Kholodny Yar”, the 95th Separate Assault Brigade, the 3rd Assault Brigade, as well as some other special forces that are part of the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine.
“This program gives people a second chance – an opportunity not only to atone for their sins, but also to prove their loyalty to Ukraine on the front line, where every defender is needed,” noted Horobets.
Source: The Ukrainian Review (@UkrReview), April 2, 2025.
