Russian prisons shed 180,000 inmates since start of war

The number of inmates in Russian prisons has fallen by 180,000 since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, according to Euronews. Analysts link the reduction to mass mobilization into the armed forces, with many prisoners released on the condition of enlisting in the army. The figures reflect both the scale of Russian military casualties and the systematic recruitment of convicts for military operations.