Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Saturday to conscript people with outstanding convictions for murder, robbery, drug trafficking, and other serious crimes, in an effort to ramp up the country’s need to mobilise soldiers to fight against Ukraine. The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence had alleged last month that the Wagner Group, a network of mercenaries owned by Russian entities, had started recruiting Russian convicts suffering from serious diseases, including HIV and Hepatitis C, for the war in Ukraine.
Following group of former prisoners exempted from conscription effort
The group of former prisoners exempted from the conscription effort include individuals convicted of committing sexual assault against minors, treason, spying, and terrorism.
The law signed by Vladimir Putin applies to prisoners who were conditionally convicted. Such individuals must remain under the supervision of authorities until their conviction is cancelled.
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Earlier on Friday, President Vladimir Putin had said that Kremlin had already mobilised an additional 18,000 soldiers above its goal of 300,000 conscriptions to push its war effort in Ukraine. Before that, the Russian Ministry of Defence had announced that all mobilisation activities were suspended after the target of conscripting 300,000 soldiers from the general population was reached this week.
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Meanwhile, Russia has also asked for a meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday, November 7, to address the alleged attack on its Black Sea Fleet by Ukraine. The attack was cited as the reason by the Kremlin to pull itself out of a UN-backed agreement to allow the export of grain from Ukraine via a safe Black Sea corridor. Russia subsequently rejoined the deal after Turkish intervention on November 2.
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