Convicts released under a new law will serve in separate units of the Ukrainian military, Justice Minister Denys Maliuska said on national television on May 27.
Ukraine's parliament passed a bill on May 8 permitting those convicted under certain charges to serve in the Armed Forces, paving the way for the voluntary mobilization of prisoners. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the bill into law on May 17.
Maliuska said earlier in May that Ukraine could fill its ranks with as many as 20,000 convicts in a move that would also help ease overcrowding in Ukrainian prisons.
Units with former prisoners will be established for assault operations and not involve other military personnel, Maliuska said.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
The minister added that the Ukrainian command could mix former prisoners with other military units in the future, considering their performance on the battlefield.
At least 613 prisoners had been released thanks to the new conscription law as of May 27, according to Maliuska. The newcomers are currently undergoing training that will last "at least a couple of months," the minister said.
The judiciary has received 4,300 applications so far and is already considering most of them, according to the Justice Ministry.
Those released will reportedly be supervised by the military units they enlist in and cannot leave their units without their commanders' permission.
Under the new rules, the list of convicted citizens who were allowed to be drafted does not include those convicted of premeditated murder, sexual violence, drug trafficking and production, or crimes against national security.
Based on suggestions of the anti-corruption parliamentary committee, the measure will also exclude lawmakers and top officials imprisoned for corruption.
