The number of inmates held in Russian prisons and pre-trial detention centres has fallen sharply, reaching an historic low.
The Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) reported that 282,000 people are currently serving sentences in places of detention, including 85,000 in pre-trial detention centres, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.
At the end of 2021, the prison population stood at 465,000, meaning it has declined by 183,000 during the war in Ukraine.
FSIN head Arkady Gostev said the reduction has been driven by efforts to recruit contract soldiers for the army, as well as the expansion of forced labor programs and alternative sentencing measures.
In March, the Supreme Court reported a “record low” figure of 308,000 prisoners. By comparison, there were around 1 million inmates in 2001 and 864,000 in 2010.
According to Gostev, around 16,000 prisoners—approximately 6% of the total—are involved in producing goods for the military. In 2025, the value of such production reached 5.5 billion rubles ($61.1 million).
By Vafa Guliyeva
