A hundred women who served prison sentences have already joined the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. They now fight alongside men, both on the frontlines and in communications, logistics, and medical units.

One of them is Halyna, who was convicted of theft and formerly imprisoned in Poltava. She had experience volunteering even before her detention, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 

“I want to go to the front because I lost my son and my husband,” she says.

Another woman, Alvina, also convicted of theft, explains: “My husband and two brothers are fighting. And I have a child I must protect. I don’t want my child to be the one who finishes this war.”

According to Ukraine’s State Criminal Executive Service, around 9,500 convicted individuals have already enlisted in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. 

“About 9,500 convicted individuals are carrying out tasks on the front, including in combat zones. But not all of them are men, 100 are women with criminal convictions now serve in the Armed Forces,” the statement says.

Most were convicted of property-related crimes. The breakdown, according to the Service:

• 55% — property crimes
• 11% — drug offenses
• 9% — bodily harm
• 6% — traffic accidents with injuries
• 6% — murder

Deputy Minister of Justice Yevhen Pikalov said that 20–30% of all convicts in Ukraine could potentially be mobilized, UkrInform reports. 

“Today, more than 8,300 convicts have joined the Armed Forces, with another 1,000 applications under review. In terms of potential, about 20–30% of Ukraine’s total prison population could take advantage of this opportunity and help defend the country,” he explained.

According to Pikalov, Ukraine currently holds 37,000 detained individuals. However, not everyone is eligible for the service: those convicted of terrorism, corruption, sexual violence, or crimes against national security are excluded.

European firms stole drone secrets from a top Ukrainian manufacturer while falsely claiming their own UAVs were tested in combat, according to Skyeton CEO Roman Knyazhenko. He did not name the specific European companies allegedly involved. Skyeton’s flagship Raybird drone has flown over 350,000 combat hours, The Telegraph says. 

European drone makers accused of copying, then vanishing

In an interview with The Telegraph, Knyazhenko said some European manufacturers approached Skyeton under the pretense of cooperation. However, then they used the meetings to extract technical details and even plagiarized phrases from company materials.

“Sometimes I open presentations of other aircraft from Europe, and I see literally my own words, without any change,” he told the outlet.

He said firms conducted only a few drone flights far from the front line — such as in Lviv in western Ukraine — and still claimed their systems were “combat tested.” These misleading claims allowed them to secure government contracts worth billions, diverting funds from proven Ukrainian systems.

“They’re investing in technology that’s actually fake. In the end, you will have nothing,” Knyazhenko said, warning that the deception not only wastes money but also harms Ukraine’s war effort.

Skyeton says Raybird drones built under battlefield pressure

Skyeton, formerly focused on ultralight aircraft, now works directly with the Ukrainian army. CEO Roman Knyazhenko said roughly half the drone’s components have been replaced in recent years to enhance radar evasion and endurance. The system can reportedly fly 2,500 kilometers and stay airborne for up to 28 hours with various payloads. He added that pressure on engineers is extreme, with repairs often needed overnight to avoid leaving brigades without support.

“In peacetime, you would say a couple of weeks or a month. But right now, you have one night,” Knyazhenko said. “Because if you do not do it in one night, tomorrow the enemy will try and approach us and we will not have aircraft in the air, so we will have casualties.”

Poor foreign parts and legal limbo slow Ukrainian production

Skyeton says it had to start building more parts itself after receiving faulty imports. Knyazhenko cited one shipment of gimbal cameras where half didn’t work. Test logs showed they failed before leaving the factory, he said. The supplier denied responsibility. Legal action, Knyazhenko added, would take years — while frontline units went without equipment.

“Every day of delay will cost us millions,” Knyazhenko said, noting Skyeton’s strict government contracts and the constant demand from Ukrainian brigades.

Rapid evolution defines Ukraine’s drone edge

Skyeton says it constantly refines its drones for real combat conditions. Engineers, it claims, adjusted launch systems and designed UAVs that can take off from puddles within minutes. Knyazhenko said key technologies may become obsolete in two weeks.

“Three years here feels like 20 years in peace time,” he said.

He warned that visiting a Ukrainian factory doesn’t mean firms can replicate the work. “It’s the same story as building a BMW from scratch. It takes years,” he said.

In Foreign Affairs, former Biden officials Jon Finer and David Shimer said most countries — including the US — now lag behind Ukraine in drone warfare. Knyazhenko added that instead of rebuilding systems like the Raybird, Western countries should simply fund Ukrainian production abroad.

Ukraine plans to appeal to the European Union to impose sanctions on Bangladeshi companies importing wheat that, according to Ukrainian intelligence, partially originates from Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.

Russian exporters mix legitimate grain with stolen Ukrainian grain and declare it in documents as originating from Russian regions.

“It is a crime,” said Ukraine’s ambassador to India, Oleksandr Polishchuk.

According to intelligence, over 150,000 tons of such grain have already been shipped from the Kavkaz port to Bangladesh. The Ukrainian embassy sent several notes to Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry requesting rejection of shipments containing stolen grain, but the official in Dhaka has ignored these appeals.

In response to the silence, Kyiv is preparing an investigation to share with its partners in the EU, aiming to impose sanctions on companies cooperating with the aggressor.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh states that it “does not import stolen grain” and does not buy wheat from occupied territories, but has provided no actions or evidence to confirm the information.