Putin signs laws on volunteer military formations and conscription of convicts

Vladimir Putin signed multiple new bills into law on Friday, including one concerning volunteer formations in the military and one concerning the conscription of people convicted of grave crimes.

The new law on volunteer formations defines the status of volunteers, their rights, their salaries, and other related issues.

The second law lifts the ban on mobilizing people convicted of grave crimes, with certain exceptions, including sexual crimes against children, terrorism, and treason.

Thinking inside the box

Increasingly desperate for manpower this summer, Russian authorities began tapping a “resource” the country has plenty of: prisoners. If you think that sounds like it would have obvious drawbacks, you’re right.