00:00Natalia swapped her prison cell for the front line in Ukraine.
00:05It felt like a lottery ticket, a chance at a new life to change myself,
00:10and I had plenty of time to think about it.
00:13She was serving a five-year sentence for theft and was due for release in 2028.
00:19Then Ukraine passed a law allowing eligible prisoners to volunteer to fight.
00:26I wanted to sign up.
00:27The moment I heard it, yes, I want this.
00:32Natalia applied three times before she was accepted.
00:36I think for me prison was quite a turning point,
00:39a period in which I re-evaluated my entire life.
00:42More than 200 female prisoners like Natalia have taken up arms since the law was passed in May 2024.
00:50For many, it offers a path for transformation.
00:53Like Natalia's comrade, Ilvira, who was serving a seven-year sentence for murder.
01:00There are two different things.
01:01Coming out having served time or going to fight and being a soldier.
01:07It seems obvious to me that it's better to be a soldier.
01:12Not every Ukrainian inmate qualifies.
01:15Those convicted of the most serious crimes, including the murder of two or more people,
01:20sexual offences and treason, are excluded.
01:23In exchange for service, which lasts until the war ends, their sentences are commuted.
01:29Those who survive the war can return to civilian life with a clean record and a fresh start.
01:37If you're careful and attentive and listen to people here and learn what they teach you,
01:42as far as how to conduct yourself properly, it's actually quite a decent chance at life.
01:48That motivation is something their commanders say they see on the front lines.
01:53I haven't seen better fighters than them.
01:57They were super motivated from the start by freedom, money and becoming something in life.
02:06As fighters, they are outstanding.
02:10And the women's participation is increasingly seen as essential.
02:14As the war drags on, Ukraine is struggling to meet mobilisation targets.
02:19Accepting prisoners is just one way the search for new recruits has widened.
02:24Officials say every addition bolsters the ranks.
02:29There are approximately 1,500 women in prisons across Ukraine,
02:33and only a fraction meet the program's criteria.
02:37But everyone we spoke to said the same thing.
02:40They want redemption.
02:43Either you get released, and there's a stamp on you that you're an ex-con.
02:46Well, however you look at it, that's just how it is.
02:50Or you go in already as someone with a military obligation.
02:53You have more rights, more opportunities.
02:56For me, that plays a huge role too.
03:01I reconsidered things.
03:02I rethought a lot.
03:03I want to start everything over.
03:05And to start something over, I want to be useful to society in this way.
03:10Both Angelina and Natalia have been accepted into the program
03:14and are awaiting the final approval from the authorities until they can join their units.
03:20Back on the front line, Natalia had recently returned from her first mission as a drone operator,
03:26which lasted 10 days.
03:27She worked close to the zero line, acting as eyes for the infantry.
03:34The sounds.
03:35Sounds I'd never heard before.
03:38The whole sky was humming, because there were drones.
03:45I'm satisfied with myself, first and foremost.
03:48I do not do this for anyone else.
03:50But first and foremost for myself, because I take it seriously.
03:53Fully serious.
03:56The war has opened an unexpected path for these women,
04:00one that's reshaping their lives beyond their past.
04:04First.
04:04I closed.
04:05I closed.
04:05You
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