The prisoners of the St. Petersburg penal colony were waiting for the officers to arrive, thinking it would be some kind of inspection. Instead, the men in uniform arrived and offered him an apology if he would agree to fight alongside the Russian forces in Ukraine.
According to a woman whose boyfriend is spending time there, about a dozen people were released from jail over the next few days. On condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, she said her boyfriend was not among the volunteers, although after years of his conviction, “I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”
As Russia continues to suffer from Ukraine’s invasion, now nearing its sixth month, the Kremlin has refused to announce a full mobilization, a move that may have been highly unpopular with President Vladimir Putin. But it has given rise to a covert recruitment effort that involves using prisoners to goof off.
This coupled with reports that hundreds of Russian soldiers are refusing to fight and are trying to leave the army.
Alexei Tabalov, Head of the Legal Department at the Conscript School, said, “We are seeing a huge influx of people who want to leave the war zone, who have been serving for a long time and who have recently signed a contract. ” support group.
Tabalov told the Associated Press that the group has seen a flood of applications from men who want their contracts terminated, “and I personally get the impression that everyone who is willing to run.”
Although the Defense Ministry denies that “mobilization activities” are taking place, the officers appear to be doing everything possible to encourage recruitment. Billboards and public transport advertisements in many areas proclaim: “This is the work”, urging men to join forces. The authorities have set up mobile recruitment centers in some cities.
The regional administrations are creating “Volunteer Battalions” which are publicized on state television. Kommersant Business counts at least 40 such entities in 20 sectors daily, offering monthly salaries between $2,150 and $5,500 as well as bonuses.
AP saw thousands of openings on job search websites for various military specialists.
The British military said this week that Russia has formed a major new ground force from “volunteer battalions” called the Third Army Corps, which is looking for men under the age of 50 and requiring only a high school education. , while a one-time “bonus” is being offered. He has been posted to Ukraine.
This is not the first time officials have used such a tactic. The Soviet Union used “prisoner battalions” during World War II.
Russia is not alone either. At the start of the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised amnesty to military veterans behind bars if they went to fight voluntarily, although it is unclear if anything came of it.
