Justice Ministry: 8,500 convicted individuals joined Ukrainian army

Deputy Minister of Justice Yevhen Pikalov said this in comments to Ukrinform.

"This process [of convicted individuals joining the Ukrainian Armed Forces] is ongoing. According to the latest data, 8,500 convicts have joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces within one year of the relevant law coming into force, and another approximately 1,500 applications are currently under review," the official said.

According to him, those mobilized from among the convicted have shown good performance in combat, and there is significant interest in recruiting this group within frontline units.

When asked about the types of crimes committed by those who have joined the army, Pikalov said that more than half had been convicted of property-related crimes such as theft, robbery, and burglary. Around 10% were imprisoned for drug-related offenses, about 6% for murder, and the rest for various other crimes.

Earlier in an interview with Ukrinform, Pikalov reported that as of early May, over 8,300 convicted individuals had joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with another 1,000 applications pending.

In May 2024, the Verkhovna Rada passed a law introducing conditional early release for individuals serving sentences, allowing them to directly participate in the country's defense and the protection of its independence and territorial integrity.