Russian Duma Expected to Support Hiring Criminals in Russian Army

The lower house of the Russian parliament (Duma) is set to decide on a bill on Wednesday, June 14, that would allow the country's Ministry of Defense to contract with accused or convicted criminals to fight in Ukraine. Russia, having been unsuccessful in achieving its goals and suffering heavy losses over more than fifteen months of aggression against Ukraine, is seeking to recruit more soldiers. Therefore, it is expected that the Russian Duma will vote in favor of this bill. According to the bill, contracts will be signed with criminals who are under preliminary investigation or convicts whose sentences have not yet been executed. However, criminals convicted of sexual offenses, treason, terrorism, or extremism will not have this opportunity. Additionally, the new bill that is to be voted on does not include the hiring of those who are serving their sentences. Signatories of contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense will be exempt from criminal liability upon the expiration of the contract or if they receive military awards. The Wagner mercenary group had previously been allowed to recruit convicts to fight in Ukraine but announced in February of this year that this process had been halted.