Russia Expands Prison Recruitment for Ukraine War With New Bill

Russia’s State Duma has passed a bill to allow more prisoners to fight in Ukraine and replenish its ranks.

Under the bill, those serving a prison sentence for crimes such as human trafficking, smuggling nuclear materials, and mishandling state secrets are now eligible to serve in the military in exchange for a clean slate.

According to RBC Russia, the bill was submitted by the Russian government on Friday, July 17, and passed on Wednesday, July 22.

The outlet listed the following offenses under Russia’s Criminal Code whose offenders are now eligible for military service in Ukraine:

• Smuggling: cash (Article 200.1), narcotic drugs (Article 229.1), pathogenic biological agents, weapons, nuclear materials or explosives (Article 226.1);
• Organized crime: banditry (Article 209, Part 2) and organizing a criminal community (Article 210, Part 2);
• Security violations: illegal entry into protected facilities (Article 215.4), security violations at fuel and energy facilities (Article 217.1) and illegal handling of nuclear materials (Article 220);
• Loss of documents containing state secrets (Article 284);
• Organizations of illegal migration (Article 322.1);
• Theft of nuclear materials (Article 221).

Viktor Goremykin, Russia’s deputy defense minister and chief of the Main Military-Political Directorate, told lawmakers that the convicts would serve in “special units” and be isolated from “contract service members who currently serve under contract and have no such offenses.”

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Goremykin said the bill would “increase the pool of potential candidates for military service.”

A December 2025 investigation by Russian outlet Vertska, citing court records, said Russian soldiers returning from the war in Ukraine have killed at least 551 people inside Russia.

More than half of those killed – 163 people – were murdered by former convicts who had been released from prison to fight in Ukraine.

Falling short of recruitment targets

The law came amid Ukrainian reports that Russia is failing to recruit enough troops to replace its losses in Ukraine.

On July 14, Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SZRU) said Russia is failing to reach its 409,000-troop recruitment target in 2026, with only 195,000 contracts signed as of July compared to the 204,500 target.

The SZRU added that Russia likely lost 196,700 troops in 2026 alone – including around 115,300 “irretrievable” losses, 80,400 injured, and around 1,000 captured by Ukraine.

The report follows earlier accounts that recruitment rates have fallen nationwide despite high financial incentives, while a subsequent report said Russia had filled barely a quarter of the personnel it planned for its newly created Unmanned Systems Forces (VBS).

On Saturday, July 18, a Ukrainian official said Moscow is planning to mobilize 500,000 troops in the autumn, echoing previous speculations from a Russian lawmaker that Moscow is likely to do so after the State Duma elections on Sept. 18-20.