Short on troops, Russian army pulls women from prisons for front-line combat in Ukraine
Heavy losses suffered by the Russian army in Ukraine forced the commanders to put women on the front lines, involving them in assault groups — a precedent not yet discussed. A few months earlier, Vladimir Putin's army started to grow ranks with female prisoners from institutions and penal colonies. Now, the oppressor has taken the situation up a notch.
6:03 AM EST, January 5, 2024
The Ukrainian Armed Forces' soldiers made sure there was no misunderstanding when they found the bodies of Russian soldiers in the trenches, including those of women. Lacking any medical patches or uniforms, it is clear that these women were not medics. They serve in "Storm-Z" units alongside men and meet the same brutal end, just like the thousands of convicts from across Russia.
Interestingly enough, it was Moscow who recently pointed fingers at Kyiv for using women on the front lines. The reality, however, is much more captivating.
Russian commanders already foresee that the soldiers mobilized last fall will not suffice for the fight, but that's no shocker. Losing about a thousand soldiers per day since the fall in their notorious "meat storms" and efforts to overwhelm Ukraine with violence, it appears that there aren't enough men to spare. Thus, women are now incorporated into the front lines.
They began by mobilizing convicts of crimes referred to as "wolves" or "witches" within the country.
Conscription within female penal colonies has been acknowledged for a few months. However, the idea of Russian convict women being sent into battle was unheard of. They might serve in auxiliary companies or as battlefield medics. But now, there are confirmed instances of the conscription of Russian women for combat and their integration into assault groups.
These women have been integrated into the framework of the "Storm-Z" unit and the penal companies assembled from it.
The Ukrainians provided evidence - recordings from the Zaporizhia region show fallen female soldiers in full combat gear. There are no indications of them having served as medics. These shocking developments in the war are likely not the last from Putin's soldiers. Unfortunately, human life seems to hold no value in Moscow.
While some convicts may fight and perish, others return home and pose a threat to society.
Returning to their hometowns, these veterans often repeat the offenses that led to their incarnation in the prison and penal colonies. Murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and drug addicts are just a few on the list. In essence, these are the people that comprise the Russian army. With no surveillance upon their return from war, no assistance, and no knowledge of what they might do next, the situation is stark.
