Russian parliament deputies will study starting this Wednesday to recruit people with a criminal record or partially fit to serve in the Federation Army. According to the parliamentary discussion, soldiers or those who wish to be part of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and in times of military mobilization will be sought.
In a statement, the proponents of the bill affirm that having a criminal record did not allow candidates to serve in the army, unlike the Wagner mercenary group, where many prisoners and ex-convicts fight. It has even been determined that half of the casualties of the mercenary group in the battle of Bakhmut are soldiers who were behind bars.
In addition, the Ministry of Defense is expected to draw up a list of diseases that will constitute an impediment to joining the troops. Deputies Andrei Kartapolov and Andrei Krasov stated that there are many Russians who want to sign a contract with the Russian Army, but cannot do so for health reasons or because they have a criminal record.
Last September 2022, the year the invasion began, President Vladimir Putin called up 300,000 reservists, opening the door to a new mobilization campaign. So far there has been no new call for them to belong to the Russian military ranks.
With information from EFE
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