Russia Releases Group of Women from Prison to Fight a War Against UkraineRussia Releases Group of Women from Prison to Fight a War Against Ukraine
In a striking and controversial move, Russia has begun enlisting female convicts to bolster its military efforts in Ukraine. The release of these women from a prison near St. Petersburg marks a significant shift in the Kremlin's strategy, which has increasingly turned to unconventional means to recruit volunteers from the fringes of society. Former inmates have revealed that the brutal conditions in Russia’s women’s prisons contributed to the decision of some women to enlist. At the prison near St. Petersburg, inmates were required to remain silent at all times and perform up to 12 hours of compulsory labor daily, even in the harsh subzero temperatures of winter. These oppressive conditions made the military’s offer of a pardon and a monthly salary of about $2,000—a sum nearly ten times the national minimum wage—an enticing escape for many. The recruitment of female convicts is part of broader efforts by the Russian government to attract volunteers from marginalized se...
