KYIV - Ukraine’s parliament on Wednesday passed a bill that would enable some prisoners to fight in the armed forces, as the nation faces a critical shortage of manpower on the front line.

After being long opposed to the measure and having previously criticised Moscow’s mobilisation of prisoners to fill its ranks, Kyiv has recently made an about-turn after fresh Russian advances on the battlefield.

The legislation needs to be signed by the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, the country’s parliament, and Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, before coming into force.

“The parliament has voted ‘yes’,” MP Olena Shuliak, the head of Mr Zelensky’s party, said in a Facebook post.

“The draft law opens the possibility for certain categories of prisoners who expressed a desire to defend their country to join the defence forces,” she added.

Mobilisation would be voluntary and only open to certain categories of prisoners.

Among those not eligible to serve include those found guilty of sexual violence, killing two or more people, serious corruption and former high-ranking officials, Ms Shuliak said.

Only prisoners with under three years left on their sentence can apply, she added.

Intensification of attacks

Russia has recruited prisoners to serve on the front lines since the first days of its invasion, initially offering presidential pardons for six months’ service.

The practice was spearheaded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was filmed touring Russian prisons to recruit foot soldiers for his Wagner paramilitary group.

More than two years into the war, Kyiv is grappling with how to recruit enough soldiers to repel an intensification of Russian attacks.

It recently toughened measures against draft dodgers and lowered the age at which men can be drafted from 27 to 25.