Former prisoners are already fighting near Kharkov: what commanders say about them (video)

A unit was formed from volunteers, and from the first days they were eager to fight.

A unit of people who served sentences in places of imprisonment and expressed a desire to join the defense of the state has been formed as part of the 57th separate motorized infantry brigade named after Koshevoy Ataman Kostya Gordienko. This was reported on Facebook by the Operational and Tactical Group “Kharkiv” .

It is noted that this unit is formed from volunteers who themselves decided to defend the country.

“Everyone has the right to make a mistake and at the same time – to a second chance. These men are motivated, patriotic, have repeatedly expressed a desire to defend the Motherland and were eager to fight from the very first day,” the statement said.

It is noted that they are already proving their effectiveness and motivation on the battlefield in the Kharkov direction.

“It is worth noting that former prisoners serve exclusively in a separate unit of the brigade and do not intersect with other units of the brigade,” the Kharkiv OTG noted.

The video from the military television “Army TV” shows how former prisoners are clearing the territory of the enemy.

“All the work was done. They cleaned it up. Some ran away, and some were left here,” one of the former prisoners noted about the cleansing of the areas of the city of Volchansk from the enemy. According to him, they once broke the law, but now the question is that it is necessary to defend the Motherland.

Another former prisoner said that he learned about the possibility of joining the army from the news, and then representatives of the units came and there was a conversation about the front. “The whole family is at the front – father and brother,” he answered a journalist’s question about why he decided to fight. According to him, representatives of the units talked about the realities at the front, that it would be difficult.

A third former prisoner said that there were no fears that they would be treated differently from other servicemen. He noted that in places of detention they had to adhere to prison “concepts”, but now everything is happening in a new way, without the previous “hierarchies”.

The commander noted that his fighters, who were former prisoners, “are more motivated, complain less and do everything, learn quickly.” He added that they are giving back, they train constantly and some even conduct training for themselves after classes. “This is my first experience. And I was a little worried about what it would be like. And I am very glad that I am here, that I work with them. I like it. They listen, they do everything, there is respect. Everything is good,” he noted.

The deputy battalion commander for psychological support of personnel noted that the people are quite disciplined and show themselves from a positive side.

“They are even a little easier to manage than it seemed. They are disciplined, quite organized. The task was set and it was accomplished. No need to go and remind them,” he added. According to him, there are already people who have shown themselves in battle and there are even those who have been awarded. He added that the main task is for them to forget that they were prisoners and remember that they are now military personnel.

Former prisoners are already at the front