INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
President Vladimir Putin on Friday said that Russian prisoners who died in Ukraine had redeemed themselves in the eyes of society.To boost
regular troops fighting in Ukraine, the army and mercenary group Wagner have extensively recruited from Russian penal colonies."They are
dead," Putin said during a televised meeting, referring to prisoners who died in Ukraine."Everyone can make some mistakes, they once did
But they gave their lives for the Motherland, and fully redeemed themselves," Putin said at the meeting with servicemen who fought near
Ukraine's Urozhaine on the southern front.After a short discussion with the soldiers, Putin observed a minute of silence to honor the
the eastern Ukrainian hotspot city of Bakhmut.International experts have said that in some cases prisoners were recruited to fight in
Ukraine through threats or intimidation.Many experts and Kremlin critics say that rehabilitating and reintegrating traumatized ex-soldiers
is a major challenge for Russia.Some of the former prisoners returning from the front commit new crimes.Russian authorities have
traditionally praised patriotism and a culture of self-sacrifice, including by commemorating the Soviet victory in World War II.
