From Convict to Combatant: Russia's Disturbing Trend of Prisoner Mobilization

Anton Heraszczenko, an advisor to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, recently shared a post on social media featuring a captured Russian soldier. This individual expressed his desire to participate in war as a means of redemption after having previously committed heinous crimes, including the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl.

For several months, Russia has frequently mobilized prisoners for combat roles, observing that the deaths of these individuals provoke less public outcry compared to losses among professional soldiers or conscripts. This arrangement offers prisoners a seemingly perfect chance for escape.

The critical issue with deploying prisoners, however, lies in their lack of proper training and, more importantly, adequate equipment. The terms offered to them were straightforward: survive six months on the front lines and earn your freedom without the requirement to return to prison.

Interestingly, the number of individuals willing to seize this chance at war is increasing. Among them is a man from Krasnoyarsk, notorious for raping and murdering a 16-year-old girl.

This man, recently sentenced to 21 years in prison, was found guilty by the court. Junior officer Yevgeny Anisiforov from the Academy of the Ministry of Emergency Situations murdered Zheleznogorsk in July 2022.

According to local media reports, the tragic incident occurred when the victim met with Anisiforov near a lake. In a drunken state, the 20-year-old assaulted her with a stone to the head, subsequently dragging her body into the bushes, where he raped her. Believing her to be dead, he attempted to conceal her body with clothes, sand, and gravel by the lakeshore. Tragically, the girl was still alive at this time and later succumbed to suffocation.

During his trial, Anisiforov confessed to the murder and expressed his wish to "redeem himself" through participation in the war. His demeanor in court, smiling and seemingly unfazed by the prospect of prison, was unsettling.

The victim's mother has publicly shared her concerns that her daughter's killer might be released early to join the military effort.

"In Russia, a disturbing trend has become apparent: murderers and rapists face little fear of prison as they are sent directly to combat, only to potentially return with honors," Anton Heraszczenko commented sarcastically.