Russia’s military strategy includes recruiting prisoners with hepatitis for front-line duties

The Russian government has authorized the creation of assault units consisting of convicted hepatitis B and C patients, designating them as Contingent C. This unprecedented decision, outlined in the recent order of Andrei Belousov (No. 610 of October 10, 2024), in specifically excludes hepatitis C from the list of conditions disqualifying persons for military service.

The Kremlin’s move comes against the backdrop of ongoing military operations in Ukraine, as Russian leaders seek to bolster their ranks through unconventional means. The strategy allows for the recruitment of thousands of convicts currently incarcerated, with particular emphasis on people staying in prisons and pretrial detention centers. Reports show that in the so-called There are approximately 10,000 prisoners classified as having hepatitis in the Central Military District of the Russian Armed Forces, of which approximately 15% are reported to be willing to join the fight.

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To facilitate this recruitment, a special procedure has been established that requires prisoners to be vaccinated against hepatitis B and to undergo antiviral therapy against hepatitis C before being posted to the unit. This initiative aims to create four assault companies and two reserve companies that will be integrated into existing motorized rifle regiments. These newly created units, named BC in reference to the hepatitis viruses, are to be deployed to the temporarily occupied territories of Luhansk and Donetsk.

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