I think it depends on whether the inmates actually want to or not. If they think fighting in a defensive war to gain their freedom is a good deal more power to them
Regardless of the side, if the convicts have proper training, supplies and aren’t used as pure cannon fodder I don’t have any issues with it personally.
Honestly, I am surprised that Ukraine wasn’t doing it sooner. Unfortunately, the front has been somewhat slow for the last year or so (with an exception or two) and that means both sides are dug in fairly deep.
If Ukraine decides to push back harder and start retaking large portions of land, their losses are going to skyrocket. Regardless is you agree or not, using convicts to push the lines makes sense and doesn’t risk better trained troops.
That is just how wars of this type work and the offensive side will need to absorb more damage.
Personally, if I had the option of fighting or rotting in prison, I would fight and would probably volunteer for some of the hardest work. The thing is, it would need to be my choice and I hope that any convicts, Russian or Ukrainian, get a choice in that.
Ukrainian convicts are probably going to get decent training first. It’s also likely they are going to go into some of the worst spots. Ukraine is outnumbered and they can’t afford to lose anyone, criminal or not, but it doesn’t mean they are going to have it easy.
Russia/Wagner hardly gave their convicts any training, maybe gave them guns and supplies and sent them to the front blind to find artillery locations. They were cannon fodder, pure and simple. Bakhmut was a slaughter.
Gee, it’s almost as if there’s a fundamental difference between an aggressor invading another country for conquest and a defender trying to survive. The latter deserves a lot more moral latitude.
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