Since the law on parole for serving in the army came into effect, more than 8,000 former prisoners have joined the ranks of the Defense Forces of Ukraine. This was announced by Yevhen Horobets, Head of the Department for the Execution of Sentences at the Ministry of Justice.
According to him, about 900 more applications are currently under consideration. At the same time, some of the mobilized ex-convicts have already been awarded state and departmental awards for military merit.
"To date, more than 8,000 men and women have joined combat units. These people have not only become part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine — they prove their dedication every day at the front," said Gorobets.
The largest number of former prisoners of war serve in the following units:
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1st Separate Assault Battalion "Da Vinci";
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225th Separate Assault Regiment;
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92nd Separate Assault Brigade;
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93rd Mechanized Brigade "Kholodny Yar";
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95th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade;
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The Third Assault Brigade, as well as other units of the defense forces.
The law allowing the mobilization of certain categories of convicts was adopted in May 2024, and the first volunteers from the colonies entered service in August of the same year. From May 8, 2024, they were allowed to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine under the conditions of professional, medical, and psychological selection, in accordance with the Criminal Executive Code.
In January 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the official procedure for passing the military medical commission and the procedure for taking convicts into military registration. Earlier, as of July 2024, more than 3 thousand convicts had already taken advantage of the opportunity to join the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. About 27 thousand more may meet the criteria for service.
Thus, the law on parole not only became an alternative for persons deprived of their liberty, but also turned some of them into real defenders of the state.
