Aleksandr Mokin, a convicted drug seller in Russia, felt hopeless and alone after being ostracized by his family and enduring abuse in prison. However, in 2022, he and other inmates in Penal Colony No. 6 heard rumors that powerful Russian figure Yevgeny V. Prigozhin was offering pardons to prisoners who survived six months of fighting in Ukraine. Mokin and 196 other inmates enlisted the same day, despite the warnings of potential death. Mokin tragically died just two months later.
This recruitment program has become the largest military prison recruitment program since World War II, with Russian inmates enlisting to bolster the country’s forces. These former inmates, primarily from poor families and rural areas, have been used as cannon fodder in Ukraine, allowing President Vladimir V. Putin to delay another round of mobilization without upsetting well-off Russians in major cities.
For many of these inmates, enlisting in the war provided a chance for redemption and self-worth, even if it meant potentially taking other lives. It also allowed them to provide income for their families and regain respect in a society that stigmatizes criminal records and honors military service.
Unfortunately, the death toll among these recruits has been high, with at least one in four being killed and many others suffering serious injuries. Russia’s prison service and defense ministry did not respond to inquiries about this matter.
Experts argue that Russia’s criminal justice system has become a recruitment tool for the military due to the extremely high conviction rates, long prison terms, and inhumane conditions in jails. Wagner, the private military company run by Prigozhin, claimed that around 50,000 inmates served in their ranks in Ukraine, with one in five of them dying. After Prigozhin’s death, the Russian Army took over the recruitment program and has expanded it by recruiting from pretrial detention centers and immigration detention facilities.
IK6, the prison where Mokin and the other recruits came from, primarily holds inmates convicted of grave offenses under Russian law. The recruits, on average, had five more years left on their sentences and came from small towns and villages. Their motivations for enlisting varied, including patriotism, desire for freedom, and a need for action after years of confinement.
The fate of the IK6 recruits has shed light on the significant role convicts have played in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, it has come at a great cost, with many losing their lives or suffering serious injuries.