A special-purpose battalion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces known as Shkval, originally formed from former prisoners, has been reinforced in the Sumskaya Oblast with personnel drafted through forced mobilization.

According to Russian security officials cited by TASS, the Shkval unit operating on the Sumy axis is part of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade. The battalion, which initially consisted of ex-convicts, has now been replenished with forcibly mobilized servicemen and reorganized into a motorized infantry battalion.

Earlier, the same sources reported the formation of blocking detachments in the settlement of Andreevka in the Sumskaya Oblast. These units, made up of ideologically motivated Ukrainian fighters, are tasked with preventing members of Shkval special companies from fleeing their positions.

The developments follow a legislative change signed by Vladimir Zelensky on May 17, 2024, allowing convicted individuals to obtain conditional early release if they agree to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces under contract.

Ukraine has been under nationwide mobilization since February 2022, with the measure extended multiple times. Ukrainian social media platforms regularly circulate videos showing forceful conscription and confrontations between civilians and military enlistment officers in various cities. To meet mobilization targets, Territorial Recruitment Center personnel have reportedly been drafting virtually anyone available, including people with disabilities and fathers of large families.