Read previewRussia is recruiting female convicts to bolster its war effort in Ukraine, the Kyiv Post reported, citing a Ukrainian intelligence spokesperson. The role of women in the war has expanded rapidly since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The practice of offering convicts freedom in exchange for military service in Ukraine began under Yevgeny Prigozhin, the late founder of the mercenary Wagner Group. Business Insider contacted the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment. Elena Tita/Global Images Ukraine via Getty ImagesUkrainian women have been joining the military in significant numbers since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

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Persons: —, Andriy Yusov, Yusov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Vladimir Osechkin, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Elena Tita Organizations: Service, Kyiv Post, Kyiv, Business, Newsweek, UK Ministry of Defence, Russian Ministry of Defense, Getty Images, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, BBC, CNBC Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Russian, Zaporizhzhia Oblast