Infamous: Why do former prisoners join Ukrainian forces?
Text and photos: Andriy Dubchak
The 1st “Da Vinci” Brigade plans to recruit former prisoners to create a whole company. After completing the basic military training, recruits will be assigned to other combat units according to their needs and skills. Once they join their units, they will receive additional essential training.
Somewhere in the woods of central Ukraine, a former recreation center is now a whole new military base, where dozens of ex-prisoners live in wooden houses with Soviet-made beds. A few days ago, they joined the ranks of the Ukrainian forces, or the 1st “Da Vinci” Assault Battalion, to be precise.
These recruits have just been released from prison, all of them having difference criminal records: robbery, fraud, weapons possession, etc.
To be released on parole and join the military, prisoners sign a contract that is no different from the standard army ones. The document will have only one vital detail: their military service will be strictly supervised, as the prisoners won’t ever leave their units in the first 12 months. Yet, all the other perks, such as salary, or allowances are equally as guaranteed.
Recruits are free to move around the base. As for security, there’s only one supervisor from the military law enforcement service. They can use a cell phone, go to the store or post office once a day. From Monday to Saturday, they attend physical training classes, handling weapons, master tactics and combat medicine. Sunday is their day off.
Frontliner spotted 38 recruits at the forest base. Some of them had been staying for three weeks, while others had just arrived at night. The reporters spent time with the recruits with no officers or any other supervision. They shared meals, exercised on the sports ground, went swimming at the forest lake and, of course, talked to each other.
The recruits of all ages had a challenging five-week combat course, followed by a short drill, and then – the front dropoff. The company’s commander, call sign “Palkin,” said what would happen there.
“Everyone will fight! And I want to tell you that a hella lot will die. I’m just telling you the truth. It’s going to be a hard f*cking fight. You’ll face literal shit, sand, sugar… and a lot of blood… Okay. That’s it. Get some rest.”
But for now, there’s just a forest with steaming hot summer and noisy bird singing. The warm rain only added to the heat. Only the forest lake could give the slight coolness. Yet, the feeling of serenity is now dispersed by the inglorious stories of the convicts who chose to serve in the Ukrainian forces.
Serhii, 21. Drugs storing
During a short period of afternoon rest, Serhii fishes in the pond. He arrived at the training camp only at night and hasn’t received his firm call sign. Serhii was recently sentenced to more than 5 years in prison, but has now joined the Ukrainian forces.
“I used to do blunts and some bad drugs. He had a suspended sentence. So, that’s how it started.” Serhii chuckles.
“I’ve been imprisoned for six months. I had four years and six more months left. I’d rather go to war, because there (in prison – ed.) I’m useless. But here I would do at least something.” Serhii explained his motivation for signing the contract.
“Udav”. Infliction of death-causing harm to his relative
“I strangled my father-in-law. Broke his cadaver. We had a fight, as he’s been giving me silent treatment for three years. I kinda put too much force. He started to choke. I called an ambulance. That’s it…”
“Udav” says that it was for this crime that he received his call sign (“Boa Constrictor” – ed.)
But first, he was sentenced to 8 years in prison, and served the first 10 months. His family is somewhere around, but he no longer hopes to return there.
“I realized that she would not wait for eight years. I told her that she should find herself a boyfriend, a husband, so that she could… The children are just… We have two small kids. I want them to have a good life. And I will help her in any way I can,” “Udav” comments on his relationship with the family,
“She did find one… I told her three weeks ago that I was going to sign up for the army. She said, make your choice, whatever you want.”
“I am not afraid of dying. I’m afraid of being badly injured or losing my arm or leg.” the recruit shared his fears.
“Chasik,” 32. Robbery
“My family lost everything. They took everything away,” Chasik speaks mostly Russian, but the proper translation into Ukrainian wouldn’t really change his message.
The recruit is from Chasiv Yar, the town that’s been the epicenter of fighting on eastern front after the siege of Bakhmut, which is why he received this call sign. He remembers the beginning of the 2014 war perfectly, including Kremlin-led militants from the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic.”
“I don’t understand them at all. How can you understand a person who deliberately went to murder children and women? Intentionally!”
“I have an uncle, a cousin, a sister there, in Russia, in Belgorod. We don’t contact them at all. I don’t understand them for a second. They are being easily brainwashed there. We, Ukrainians and Russians, even think differently. We are different nations.”
Prisoners receive most of their information from TV, or rather from the United News nationwide telethon (a collaboration of prominent TV channels that has been numerously accused of spreading biased information.) But the recruit says he’s not affected by state’s too promising propaganda:
“We also get a lot of propaganda. But who the hell knows. We stand for the truth, we don’t give a f*ck. We are defending ourselves and our land. We didn’t invade their houses to kill their families. They invaded ours.”
“Actually, I could quietly done eight months in prison and leave. But I think it would be wrong. Why should I fool life, for f*ck’s sake. You have to live with dignity. Everything is gonna fall into place!”
“Bakha”, 36. Robbery under martial law
“I stole a chest bag from a dispatcher. They gave me seven years because of martial law. But the sentence would have been suspended, if not the war. Seven years is a lot, obviously. Usually, they give 7 or 8 years for murder. At the trial, I said, “Are you outta your mind?” “Bakha” laughs.
He is married and has two children, seven-year-old twin sons.
“I had four years and eight months to go. I told my wife that I had already passed the medical commission. She cried, yelled and all.”
“Well, someone has to protect this country. Who else but me? And secondly, now the kids will grow up and start asking, “Where were you during the war?” What will I tell them? I was in prison, hiding, right?”
The recruit says he is fully aware of the risk he is taking:
“Look, this is war. So if I am destined to die from a bullet, I won’t choose illegal border crossing,” “Bakha” laughs.
“We all understand where we are going. Everything is God’s will. And just so you know, we are voluntary contract workers. We are already the coolest dudes. We are motivated to fight and have fun. The more I kill them (Russian troops – ed.), the better.”
“Yan”, 24. Infliction of intentional bodily harm
“I had fight, where I defended myself. I was granted a parole. Then I drank beer and wanted some more. I borrowed money…forcibly. Now I regret it very much…..”
When the commanders started to assign recruits to military specialties, he chose to become a scout.
“I am small, fast, and healthy. I will quit smoking and direct all my positive and negative energy there. And I will succeed. I will be a very powerful dude. I know it. Everything will be great.” the recruit assures.
“Samosval”, 49. Illegal seizure of a vehicle
Back in civilian life, “Samosval” was a mechanic, welder, and tractor driver. He was sentenced to five years in prison for car theft. He served three and a half.
“You sit there idly at lunchtime and watch the news as our men die. A lot of young people from my town were killed, too. Here, I want to be a mechanic, because I’ve been working on tractors in the farm all my life. I understand that I may not come back. I’m ready for that.”
“Bat”, 24. Unauthorized leaving of a military unit or place of service
“Bat” had already served in the Ukrainian forces. In 2021, six months before the start of the full-scale war, he enlisted to the military. But right at the very beginning of the new invasion, he was sentenced to six years in prison.
“We were completely abandoned from the very beginning. We only had machine guns, nothing else. No radios, nothing. The commanders just dropped us at night and that was it. We couldn’t prepare for the fight. So, out of 200 people, only 60 stayed alive. We received an order to not evacuate the deceased soldiers. So about twenty people jointly left with no warning. That’s how I ended up in prison. I left the unit without permission.”
“This is our chance to re-establish ourselves in society. There are people who are motivated, who want to defend their country.”
Not all convicts can join the Ukrainian forces
Recruits who join the military from prison on parole are added another 8-10 years to their unexpired sentence in case of escape.
Before signing a contract, candidates are interviewed by military representatives, and then by medical commissions. Only then can the court decide on parole on the condition of signing a contract. At the same time, the law restricts enlistment for prisoners, who were involved in sexual crimes, attempted murder of the Ukrainian official or soldier, homicides, etc.
The Ukrainian deputy official Davyd Arakhamia says the resource of prisoners who could potentially be enlisted has up to 20,000 people. To compare, as of 2024, Wikipedia lists the number of active servicemen in the Ukrainian forces as 800,000.
