Also, while I hate Globohomo as much as the next guy and appreciate Russia's based stance on outlawing homos from media, the Annexation of Crimea was the first time since the 1972 Indian-Sino war that territory changed hands due to Military action*. And that's a worrying fucking precident.
*Ok also 2008 Georgia but Russia removed its troops and never professed a claim to the territory, only to protecting russian ethnics/interests.
Also ignoring the Iran/Iraq war because the borders went back to pre-war lines at the conclusion.
Ignoring Iraq/Kuwait for the same reason.
They were in deed. Left asses in their wind while the US fucked up their convoy so hard Putin didn't step to Trump again.
tl;dr: It is the ultimate shape-up-ship-out move. If they continue to fuck up, you can deliver military justice to them. If you think prison sucks, military prison sucks even harder.
The real problem is when you use your convict units as anything more than ditch-diggers or cannon fodder.