New Russian Law Means 40% Of Those Charged With Crime Will Be Conscripted

For Russia, desperate times, desperate measures.

Now, it's not just those convicted of crimes who can be conscripted and sent to the front, it's those accused but not sentenced who are also vulnerable. JL

New Voice of Ukraine:

Russia is preparing to conscript over 20,000 defendants for the war in Ukraine, according to a new law that allows the deployment of persons under investigation. "Out of approximately 60,000 defendants, 40% are expected to be mobilized," said a representative of the Russian ministry. The adoption of the law indicates that "the inflow of prisoners is dwindling and is not as it used to be." Russia needs additional conscription due to heavy losses on the front
Russia prepares to conscript over 20,000 defendants for the war in Ukraine, according to a new law that allows the deployment of persons under investigation, iStories media reported on Oct. 1, citing two lawyers working on criminal cases in Russia.

The journalists report that the law has not yet been signed by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, but preparations are underway in pre-trial detention centers to send defendants to the war. A source in the Russian Ministry of Defense, involved in recruitment, confirmed the lawyers' statements.

 

"Out of approximately 60,000 defendants, 40% are expected to be mobilized," said a representative of the Russian ministry.

 

Russian journalists write that about 100 defendants could be mobilized from each remand prison. Currently, there are approximately 210 pre-trial detention centers in Russia, so according to journalists' calculations, about 20,000 people could be sent to the war in Ukraine.

One of the Russian lawyers stated that defendants in remand prisons are also being "recruited" to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense by worsening their detainment conditions.

According to a source in the Russian General Staff, the adoption of the law indicates that "the inflow of prisoners is dwindling and is not as it used to be."

Putin increased the staffing level of the Russian Armed Forces to 2,389,000 people, including 1.5 million military personnel, on Sept. 16.

 

Then-Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced plans to increase the number of military personnel to 1.5 million in December 2023.

Russia needs additional conscription due to heavy losses on the front, the German tabloid Bild reported In August. Men are being attracted by high salaries, while conscripts are being pressured to sign contracts.