The Shkval unit, staffed by former prisoners, appeared in the structure of the Marine Corps

The 35th Separate Marine Brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Ostrogradsky demonstrated the training process of former prisoners who are part of the Shkval unit.

The press service of the Operational Command South published the video of the event.

Former prisoners, now marines, are practicing an algorithm of actions directly during contact with a simulated enemy.

The footage captures the marines firing from an anti-tank grenade launcher, supporting infantry actions with a machine gun, and storming the trenches of a simulated enemy.

According to the Marine Corps instructors, these exercises are extremely important as the fighters will soon face a real enemy.

The Shkval unit

As a reminder, the former prisoners have become military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Militarnyi previously reported on the successful actions of the Shkval unit as part of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade.

In July, it was reported that in the Donetsk region, the Shkval unit, supported by Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, prevented the enemy from gaining a foothold in the village of Novoselivka Persha.

It should be noted that on May 17, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Law No. 11079-1 authorizing the mobilization of certain categories of prisoners into the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The draft of the law was initiated by the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff and supported by the Ministry of Justice.

The law allows for the conditional early release of certain categories of convicts who have expressed a desire to be mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine and sign a contract by a court decision. Previously, convicts could not join the army.

Volunteers convicted of minor crimes will be able to join the Armed Forces in exchange for the possibility of parole after completion of service. However, a prerequisite has been set: no more than three years of their sentence should remain until the end of their term.

The Shkval units consist of citizens who have served their sentences in prison and have decided to join the nation’s defense out of their own volition.

Each of the former convicts is medically fit for military service, has undergone a professional and psychological selection, and has a sufficient level of physical fitness to perform their duties.

They will be prohibited from leaving the military unit and traveling on personal business without the permission of their commander. The commanders are responsible for their administrative supervision during the year.

Convict recruitment in other units, the 1st Separate Assault Battalion “da Vinci,” the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, and the 47th Separate Assault Brigade, has also been reported.