The State Duma gave veteran status to prisoners from Storm Z

Formation within the PMC "Wagner" began to be created by Evgeny Prigozhin

The State Duma on Tuesday, October 21, in the second and third readings, approved a law allowing the status of veterans and disabled combatants to be assigned to participants in the war against Ukraine from among former prisoners, including fighters of the Storm Z assault unit. 406 deputies voted unanimously for the document prepared by the government.

Who will be affected by the new law?

The status will be available to persons who have entered into agreements with the Ministry of Defense to stay in special formations from October 1, 2022 to September 1, 2023 and who participated in hostilities.

Deputy Minister of Defense Anna Tsivileva emphasized that this is the last category of “SVO participants”, which did not receive benefits. The law, according to deputies, is designed to restore “social justice” and increase the level of protection for combatants.

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Expanding the circle of veterans of the war against Ukraine

Earlier, President Vladimir Putin ordered the issue of the legal status of Storm Z fighters to be resolved. The government also approved a list of 11 territories adjacent to the combat zone, whose residents who participated in the defense will receive the status of veterans. These include the annexed Crimea and Sevastopol, the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions, as well as the cities of Anapa, Novorossiysk and Gelendzhik.

What is Storm Z

"Storm Z" is a special volunteer assault unit of the Ministry of Defense, formed from former prisoners. Recruitment began in the summer of 2022, and was personally handled by the head of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin .

In the PMC structure, the unit was called “Project K”. According to Prigozhin, 50 thousand people went to the front under this scheme.

Since February 2023, the project came under the control of the Ministry of Defense and changed its name to “ Storm Z ” and “Storm V”. Participation in storm troopers required a presidential pardon and agreement to spend six months as a storm trooper on the front line. After this, the prisoners were offered to return home or continue their service, but under a contract. At the moment, pardon has been replaced by parole.

Previously, “Verstka” found out how fighters of the “Storm Z” units get rid of debt obligations after they are recruited in the colonies of the Ministry of Defense. We also told the story of a grenade thrower deserter from Storm Z who sought political asylum.

Photo: Vladimir Putin delivers a speech from the podium at the opening of the first session of the newly elected State Duma on October 5, 2016. REUTERS/Natalia Kolesnikova/Pool

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