Ukraine's Unique Approach: Involving Prisoners and Youth in Military Amid Russian Advance

As Ukraine faces a manpower shortage and fresh Russian advances, its parliament passed a bill allowing certain prisoners with less than three years left on their sentence to join the military voluntarily. The policy, pending President Zelensky's approval, excludes serious criminals and aims to strengthen the army's ranks.

Additionally, Ukraine has tightened conscription laws, permitting the voluntary deployment of prisoners with restrictions to the frontlines to bolster troop strength. The country also implements new strategies, such as allowing youth volunteers to select preferred combat roles and units, aiming to recruit hundreds of thousands of new soldiers to defend against Russia's ongoing offensive.