In an effort to increase troop numbers, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed two laws on Friday, May 17, one to enable prisoners to join the army and another that increases fines for draft dodgers by five times, one day before a controversial mobilization law goes into effect.
The legislation permitting prisoners to be enlisted allows "parole from serving a sentence and further enlistment for military service under a contract during a special period" for certain categories of people charged with criminal offenses. It doesn't include those convicted of crimes against Ukraine’s national security. The updated legislation sets fines of up to 25,500 hryvnias ($650) for common citizens and 51,000 hryvnias ($1,300) for civil servants and legal entities for ignoring a draft notice or failing to update personal information with the military draft board in a timely manner.
The new laws come as Ukrainian troops are fighting to halt Russian advances in the Kharkiv region that began late last week.
Previously, the administrative fines for avoiding mobilization during a "special period" constituted up to 5100 hryvnias ($130) for common citizens and 8500 hryvnias ($215) for civil servants and legal entities.