One Ukrainian soldier's bitter deal for freedom: Ukraine's war convicts.
A law passed in May 2024 allowed prisoners to request parole in exchange for military service. By early 2026, more than 12,000 prisoners had joined Ukraine's armed forces under the program, according to Ukraine's Ministry of Justice.
The deal seems simple: serve until the end of the war and go free. But convicts serve mostly as infantry in some of the most dangerous parts of the war, and there's no guarantee that they'll live to enjoy that freedom.
Photo: George Ivanchenko / The Kyiv Independent.