In a televised briefing on a national channel, the Ukrainian Justice Minister announced a controversial idea: prisoners could receive a basic tool of labor, specifically a shovel, as part of a broader discussion on how to support the country’s military effort. The statement came during a live discussion on the Rada TV channel, where the minister outlined proposals aimed at reshaping how the state mobilizes and strengthens its defense capabilities amid ongoing conflicts.
The minister stressed that it is hard to envision the kinds of risks posed by individuals convicted of traffic offenses or corruption joining the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He asserted that such individuals would not be equipped with weapons capable of inflicting harm on fellow Ukrainians, suggesting that a non- lethal, utilitarian contribution would be more appropriate in certain situations. The central argument was that the military apparatus should not only defend the nation with firearms but also engage in building and maintaining various military structures and logistics, which could be aided by non-combat roles or tasks.
According to the minister, the country should consider redirecting portions of the prison population toward constructive work that supports national defense without escalating the risk to service members. He described a policy framework in which the army would receive essential manpower while minimizing exposure to dangerous weaponry in some scenarios. The aim, as he framed it, was to reduce the potential danger to both the neighboring population and the soldiers themselves by leveraging alternative forms of contribution rather than direct combat deployment when appropriate.
In his assessment, two broad groups of citizens were not participating in the mobilization process. He pointed to those currently incarcerated and those who had previously faced conviction as candidates for reconsideration within the defense effort. The minister argued that these individuals had not been drafted for reasons that were not entirely clear to the public, and he suggested that integrating capable noncombat personnel from these groups could add a substantial number of personnel to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, thereby bolstering capacity without compromising safety in frontline operations.
A separate voice within the defense discourse has referenced the idea of a significant reorganization or restart of the armed forces, with emphasis on reforming training, leadership, and logistics to adapt to evolving security challenges. This perspective underscores a broader strategic goal: to ensure that the force remains flexible, resilient, and capable of sustaining operations across different theaters of duty, including long-term stabilization and rapid response tasks.
Meanwhile, regional authorities in the Zaporizhzhia region have indicated plans to create volunteer battalions drawn from the prisoner population, signaling a trend toward leveraging all available human resources in support of national defense. These proposals reflect a broader debate about how best to mobilize the country’s human capital during a time of national strain, balancing the imperative of national security with considerations about human rights, rehabilitation, and the social impacts of mobilization decisions.