(Bloomberg) -- President Vladimir Putin signed into law a bill allowing criminal suspects to avoid prosecution by enlisting in Russia’s military.
The measure passed by both houses of parliament last week allows courts to halt criminal proceedings if suspects agree to sign a contract for military service. The new law underscores manpower challenges facing Putin’s army in replacing frontline losses in Ukraine without announcing another unpopular mobilization. Western officials estimate Russian losses are at their highest since the February 2022 invasion began.
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