Russia’s Military Strategy Includes Recruitment of Hepatitis-Stricken Prisoners for Front-Line Duties

The Russian government authorized the creation of assault units consisting of convicts suffering from hepatitis B and C and designated them as Conditional C. This unprecedented decision, summarized in a recent order by Andrey Belousov (No. 610, dated October 10, 2024), specifically excludes Hepatitis C from the list of conditions that disqualify individuals from military service.

The Kremlin’s move comes amid ongoing military operations in Ukraine, where Russian leaders are trying to strengthen their ranks using unconventional methods. The strategy allows the recruitment of thousands of inmates currently in prison, specifically targeting those in prisons and detention centres. Reports indicate that there are approximately 10,000 prisoners classified as suffering from hepatitis in the so-called Central Military District of the Russian Armed Forces, and about 15% of them have expressed a willingness to join the fight.

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To facilitate this recruitment, a special procedure was established requiring inmates to be vaccinated against hepatitis B and undergo a course of antiviral treatment for hepatitis C before deployment. This initiative aims to establish four assault companies and two reserve companies that will be integrated into existing motorized rifle regiments. These newly created units, called BC in reference to hepatitis viruses, are planned to be deployed in the temporarily occupied Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

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