Russia's prison dynamics shift as inmates and guards join Ukraine war front

Prisoners and prison guards are heading to the Ukrainian front, leading to the emptying and closure of some facilities. It's speculated that new camps may rise in the Ukrainian territories under occupation.

Official figures indicate Russia houses up to 400,000 prisoners. However, despite ongoing arrests and criminal cases, penal colonies are decreasing. This year alone, Mark Denisov, the human rights commissioner for the Krasnoyarsk Territory, reported at least two such closures.

"An alarming trend," Denisov remarked, "is the massive, one-time reduction in the convict population due to the special military operation (the term used by Russians for the war in Ukraine), prompting closures of penal institutions for optimization and cost-saving."

"The law now recruits prisoners right from pre-trial detention. Barely processed, you are whisked away from the cell and sent off to war," says Olga Romanova, head of the Sitting Rus Foundation.

The Associated Press has indicated plans to construct at least 25 new penal colonies within the next two years in the areas of Ukraine under Russian control.

"It's a broad net. From bribery to fraud, they're sent from their cells to sign contracts and command in the front lines. It seems half the guards are off building camps, while the rest lead through prison to the front," shares Romanova.

"Putin's long war means camps become redundant, as everyone is propelled directly to the front," Romanova suggests.