Zelensky signs new law giving full rights to former convict soldiers in army
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Ukrainian soldiers who volunteered to fight out of the country's prison system will be given rights equal to any other service members, according to a new law signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 4.
The law guarantees new rights, including 15 days of annual leave, access to proper medical care after injury, and the ability to transfer between units after one year of service or earlier for health reasons.
The law also grants female service members the right to maternity and childcare leave.
Ukrainian prisoners have been able to fight in the military voluntarily, in exchange for amnesty at the end of martial law, since May 2024, after relevant legislation passed by parliament and signed by Zelensky made it possible.
The changes unlocked the country's prison population as a crucial source of much-needed manpower, especially in infantry roles, at a time when forced mobilization was picking up steam across the country.
Those serving prison terms for serious crimes including murder and rape are not eligible to volunteer.
Since then, former prisoners, whether fighting in specialized companies or battalions, or being integrated into the ranks of mobilized recruits, have played an important role keeping the front lines manned amid a broader manpower crisis in the Ukrainian military.
However, the legal framework for former prisoner soldiers' rights has been murky and often undefined, leaving soldiers who have spent years in some of the army's toughest roles in the lurch.
"People who have proven their loyalty to Ukraine at the front must be protected," said Deputy Defense Minister Liubov Halan in a statement on the ministry's website.
"This law eliminates injustice towards service members who, after parole, have come to defend Ukraine."
According to the ministry, the changes will also help improve recruitment from the prison system overall, and will act as a motivating factor for those former prisoners already serving.
