Storm Z
Russia currently has 266,000 convicts behind bars, Deputy Justice Minister Vsevolod Vukolov said 04 October 2023. The overwhelming majority are men. Fighting units known as Storm-Z [Z = zek = prisoner] are comprised of convicts and insubordinate soldiers.
According to human rights activists, after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, about 120 thousand prisoners were sent to war from Russian prisons. By the end of 2023, more than half died.
“The number of prisoners in Russia has decreased, in my opinion, by almost a third. What does this mean? There have always been approximately 350 thousand Russian prisoners in recent years. I may be a little wrong, but in general there is enough to understand the order. Consider that about 100 thousand were sent to war, maybe 80 thousand, but this is still a very large mass,” noted Russian opposition politician Gennady Gudkov. Convicts pardoned by Putin received preference in comparison with Russian mobilized and contract soldiers. Their stay at the front is limited, while the rest fight indefinitely.
Storm Z is one of the “punitive military units” created by the Russian Ministry of Defence on the model of the Wagner PMC. Members of the unit are recruited in Russian prisons, motivated by the prospect of reduced sentences and “earnings” of US$2,000 per month. Russian Army recruited a new unit named ‘Storm Z’, formed for "immediate operational use in performing particularly complex combat missions.” According to Putin's order No. PRS-563, assault companies "Z" were formed from convicted persons to conduct offensive actions and urban battles during the war against Ukraine.
Russian troops actively used Storm-Z in an attempt to conduct offensives against Ukrainian positions. It remained unclear whether the units of these airborne divisions formed the Storm-Z assault detachments, staffed with prisoners, or whether the Storm-Z formations are fighting along with elements of the airborne forces, but operate under the direction of other command structures.
The insignia is bold, recognizable and can be painted with one stroke: the letter “Z.” It quickly bacome the distinctive symbol of support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Initially, the Z, as well as other letters, including O, X, A and V, appeared on Russian tanks, sometimes framed by squares, triangles and other painted shapes.
The letter “Z” of the Latin alphabet — which does not exist in the Russian Cyrillic alphabet — has been deployed beyond the military. It has appeared with the phrase “Za pobedu,” or “For victory.” And later, “For peace” and “For truth.” Many of the from Russia show a “Z” in orange and black stripes, the colors of the ribbon of the Order of Saint George, the highest battlefield award in Imperial Russia, now used in celebrations of Victory Day. The orange-and-black “Z” creates a link between the war in Ukraine and celebrations of the victory in in Great Patriotic War.
Storm Z companies appeared in the Russian army, in which they recruit people who have problems with the law, but who have not served time behind bars. Serhiy Cherevaty, spokesman for the Eastern Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, spoke about this to Channel 24 on 09 June 2023. Cherevaty explained that the Russians are trying to show their "professionalism" in this way. Therefore, they constantly make attempts to show that only people "with a low level of fear" are recruited into the ranks of the army. Another of their arguments is that the fighters have authority in criminal circles.
According to Cherevaty, the Russian Ministry of Defense is experiencing problems with its personnel and, in order to try to maintain an attacking momentum, it is pulling personnel from all sides. Russia has already attracted both the BARS combat army reserve, and territorial troops, and various PMCs Fakel, Veterans, Patriot, and volunteer formations, but this does not give results. Even blackmail and promises of large payouts do not save the situation.
The Storm Z included those who had problems with the law, and they were offered a choice: either go to jail or go to war. They are not related to the mercenaries of private military companies who were behind bars. “It can be said that the RF Ministry of Defense is seizing the initiative in Wagner, which has now been somewhat cut off in this direction by the possibility of filling with personnel, and therefore they are using the same methods. Through the military registration and enlistment offices, instead of still giving them to Wagner, they are trying create these "Storm Z" companies," Cherevaty added.
On 21 June 2023 the Russian parliament’s lower house, the State Duma, approved legislation that would give pardons to criminal convicts who volunteer to join Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, a move aimed at boosting troop numbers during the first stages of Ukraine’s counteroffensive. The legislation set in law the recruitment of prisoners and criminal suspects for the war in Ukraine, a practice first adopted by the Wagner mercenary force in 2022 before Russia’s Ministry of Defence took over prison recruitment in early 2023, the Moscow Times reported. The legislation would next go through a single round of voting in Russia’s upper-house Federation Council, after which Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to sign them into law.
The State Duma said in a statement that amnesties for fighting at the front lines in Ukraine do not extend to all criminals in Russian prisons: acts of terror, sex offences, espionage and treason are among the serious crimes exempted. “The validity of the document does not extend to those who have previously been convicted of terrorist and extremist acts, as well as offences against the sexual sanctity of minors,” according to a statement published on the Duma’s website.
If the legislation becomes law, the criminal records of those who join the Russian army will be erased once they complete military service, receive a state award for fighting, are wounded in action or reach the retirement age of 65. Suspected criminals also receive a reprieve if they agree to serve in Ukraine. “For suspected criminals who agree to take up arms, authorities can suspend criminal proceedings against them if they face up to five years in prison for premeditated crimes or up to 10 years for acts of negligence. The bill notes that crimes committed after the law takes effect will not be expunged,” the Moscow Times reported.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the millionaire owner of the Wagner Group mercenary force, had been allowed to recruit criminal convicts as mercenaries, promising them pardons if they survive six months of fighting in Ukraine. With the high-profile acrimony between Wagner forces and Russia’s defence ministry continuing to rumble, Prigozhin complained that his access to Russian prisons for recruitment had been blocked.
In practice, the units, equipped with the so-called "special contingent", showed extremely low combat effectiveness. Alcoholism, looting, and desertion are flourishing among the occupier prisoners - in particular, due to catastrophic losses.
To regroup and supplement the so-called "volunteer corps" with convicted persons, the military leadership of Moscow formed a special commission headed by the deputy chief of staff of the Russian occupation forces in Ukraine, Major General Polguev. On 15 June 2023, the commission was ordered to select about 2,000 people from among the "special contingent", conduct training with them at training grounds located in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, and transfer them to the combat zone. For the members of the Polguyev special commission in the occupied territories of Ukraine, increased security is provided, and the discipline among the volunteer prisoners will be monitored by groups of the military police of the Russian Federation.
Sources reported 15 July 2023 that along the Russian-Belarusian border, in the Russian border areas, there is an increase in the number of members of the Storm Z unit. In particular, a new batch of prisoners arrived in the territory of Spiridonova Buda, Bryansk region, who were included in this formation and sent to reinforce the 1st Tank Army of the Russian Federation. At the same time, protest moods and dissatisfaction are spreading among the population of Spiridonova Buda due to the threat of a significant deterioration in the crime situation, as numerous cases of robberies and rapes are currently being recorded.
Moscow is seeking to make it legal to draft inmates to help fill the ranks. Russian legislation currently forbade the military to register convicted prisoners for the draft or call them up for duty. But on 06 September 2023, the Defense Ministry submitted a proposal to remove that restriction from the law, potentially making tens of thousands of convicts fair game for deployment to Ukraine. “It’s possible that they may start conscripting directly from prison,” a representative of Russia Behind Bars, a group that advocates for prisoners’ rights, told RFE/RL.
The Ministry of Defense proposed placing prisoners serving their sentences in places of deprivation of liberty on a “special military register.” At the same time, correctional institutions will be required to provide lists to military registration and enlistment offices as they are released.
The Ministry of Defense proposed to amend the regulations on military registration, according to which those serving sentences in places of deprivation of liberty will have to register with the military. The document is posted on the legal information portal. In the draft amendments, in particular, it is proposed to exclude paragraph 15 from the “Regulations on Military Registration”, according to which citizens serving a sentence of imprisonment are not subject to military registration. It is also proposed to supplement the section on the procedure for military registration with the following content:
- military registration of conscripts and those liable for military service serving a sentence of imprisonment is called special military registration;
- special military registration is carried out by correctional institutions, correctional centers of the penal system;
- special military registration is carried out: according to lists of conscripts and those liable for military service serving a sentence of imprisonment, in electronic form and on paper - by institutions of the penal system; on registration cards - by military commissariats;
- registration with special military registration and removal from special military registration of citizens serving a sentence of imprisonment is carried out without the citizens appearing at military commissariats.
Lists of special military registration must contain personal data of convicts, addresses of registration and actual residence, date of conviction and the article under which the citizen was convicted, type and duration of punishment. Military registration will be carried out by correctional institutions. They will also have to provide lists to military registration and enlistment offices as prisoners are received, transferred and released.
Just as Russian civilians go to great lengths to avoid conscription and mobilization, so, too, will convicts, creating the potential for vast corruption, the Russia Behind Bars representative told RFE/RL. “This scheme is a limitless corruption opportunity for the Federal Penitentiary Service. If prisoners used to pay to get out on parole, now they will pay not to get on the list and go to war,” the representative said.
Russia has difficulties in generating combat infantry capable of conducting effective offensive missions. The Ministry of Defense reported this 23 October 2023, citing intelligence data. " Russia largely continues to rely on specially designated ‘Shtorm-Z’ units for local offensive operations in Ukraine. These company-sized groups were likely first fielded in 2022. There is a realistic possibility that Russia originally envisioned them as relatively elite organisations which could seize the tactical initiative. However, since at least spring 2023, Shtorm-Z have effectively become penal battalions, manned with convicts and regular troops on disciplinary charges. Multiple accounts suggest the units are given the lowest priority for logistical and medical support, while repeatedly being ordered to attack. Russian troops have often conducted an effective defence. However, the existence of Shtorm-Z highlights the extreme difficulty Russia has in generating combat infantry capable of conducting effective offensive operations."
Since at least spring 2023, Shtorm-Z have effectively become penal battalions, manned with convicts and regular troops on disciplinary charges. Multiple accounts suggest the units are given the lowest priority for logistical and medical support, while repeatedly being ordered to attack. Shtorm-Z troops had often conducted an effective defense, according to the review. However, the existence of Shtorm-Z emphasizes the extreme difficulty Russia faces in generating combat infantry capable of performing effective offensive operations.
Early pardon of convicts recruited for Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine violates the rights of victims and is contrary to the Constitution. Such actions by Russian President Vladimir Putin could lead to a sharp surge in criminal offenses, according to analysts from the Crime Victims Support Fund, FREEDOM reported 12 January 2024.
The predictions are coming true: a court in the Primorsky Territory recently sentenced Maxim Volkov to seven years in prison for murder. Previously, the man had already served a sentence for murder, where he was recruited into the private military company (PMC) Wagner. By the way, the court considered Volkov’s participation in the war against Ukraine a mitigating circumstance.
Since March 2023, Russian soldiers returning from the front have killed 27 compatriots. Journalists published such data based on information from open sources. These are only known and proven cases, but there may be many more. Most often, crimes are committed by former prisoners who were recruited in colonies for Russia’s war against Ukraine, analysts say. “Against this background, of particular concern is the fact that some pardoned especially dangerous criminals, returning from the SVO zone, again commit serious violent crimes, which causes a negative public response and leads to increased tension,” from the report of the Crime Victims Support Fund.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin has repeatedly signed decrees pardoning criminals and expunging their criminal records. This is a direct violation of the Russian Constitution, because a criminal record can only be expunged from someone who has already served his sentence. In this case, the views of victims must be taken into account. In addition, victims have the right to receive all information about the convicted person.
The father of Vera Pekhteleva, who was brutally murdered in January 2020, accidentally learned that his daughter’s killer was at large. Vladislav Kanyus was not only released from criminal punishment, but also from payment of monetary compensation. Evgeny Pekhtelev sued the bailiffs due to their inaction.
The Chairman of the Defense Committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation directly stated that there will be no rotation either now or in the future. “Even now, according to Putin’s idiotic laws, people who have been released from prison and have an outstanding criminal record are exempt from military service. Even now this rule of law applies. I think it won't last long. As soon as the “cannon fodder” in prisons runs out, they will start calling up former prisoners,” Gudkov emphasized.
Murderers, robbers and rapists now conduct propaganda lessons for schoolchildren, and Putin personally rewards them. He presented the “Golden Star” of the Hero of Russia to Irek Magasumov, accused of murdering an 18-year-old girl in Lugansk, temporarily occupied by the Russian army. “As Kommersant reports, according to its sources, investigators until recently did not exclude the possibility of reclassifying the case under a less serious article - causing death by negligence (Article 109 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). But in the end, the lieutenant colonel was not only approved of the initial charge, but also an article about hooliganism was added: according to the investigation, immediately after committing the murder, Magasumov got involved in a conflict with other servicemen and took away a Niva car from a junior in rank,” from the Telegram publication. channel The Moscow Times.
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