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Russia Deploys Ex-Female Prisoners to Front Lines

5/15/2026

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Story summary
  • Russia is sending former female inmates to front-line assault units in eastern Ukraine.
  • The Federal Penitentiary Service says the prison population fell to 282,000 from 465,000 at the end of 2021.
  • About 16,000 inmates—roughly six percent—are tasked with producing military goods valued at 5.5 billion rubles.
  • Authorities offer contracts that cancel prisoners’ sentences if they survive combat.
  • Recruitment tactics have become increasingly coercive toward job seekers and potential conscripts.