Russia Offers Freedom to Convicts to Fight in Ukraine

Licensed by the Author at Envato Elements

A month-long investigation by CNN has revealed that Russian authorities are offering convicts freedom after six months, a monthly salary of 200,000 rubles, and compensation to families of up to five million rubles ($82,000) if the convict dies in combat.

“Join the Army or go to jail.”

Harkening back to a dark time in U.S. history, some judges from the Vietnam-era and before often issued this ultimatum to men convicted of moderately severe offenses.

There’s even a case of it happening fairly recently in the U.S., although it was the criminal who requested to join the infantry in lieu of a 12-month prison sentence for sexual assault.

Shockingly, the judge agreed!

With the exception of this recent case, the U.S. military today is an organization that places a premium on the intelligence, capability, and integrity of the men and women who volunteer to serve in uniform.

To put it another way, if you’re in a combat environment, would you trust the man or woman next to you if they were there against their will?

This revelation speaks to the quality, or lack thereof, of Russian troops currently galivanting their way around eastern and southern Ukraine.