Could be. I'm not taking from the video that recruiting prisoners is an act of solely desperation, but more like Putin's way of telling the world, "We are in it to win it." And that means every possible asset will be activated. You're right, the very fact that this video got out to the West is telling, in and of itself.
When you think of Ukraine's forces being made up now of males pressed into service and not wanting to be there, and they see that not only battle hardened veterans are coming for them, but also hardened criminals, the Ukrainian conscripts must be totally demoralized now. And maybe THAT was the purpose of the video being released.
Could be. I'm not taking from the video that recruiting prisoners is an act of solely desperation, but more like Putin's way of telling the world, "We are in it to win it." And that means every possible asset will be activated. You're right, the very fact that this video got out to the West is telling, in and of itself.
When you think of Ukraine's forces being made up now of males pressed into service and not wanting to be there, and they see that not only battle hardened veterans are coming for them, but also hardened criminals, the Ukrainian conscripts must be totally demoralized now. And maybe THAT was the purpose of the video being released.