Ukraine has reduced its military conscription age as a measure to bolster its forces depleted by over two years of war following Russia's full-scale invasion.
Ukraine on Wednesday lowered the military conscription age from 27 to 25 in an effort to replenish its depleted ranks after more than two years of war following Russia’s full-scale invasion. The new mobilization law came into force a day after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed it. Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed it last year. It was not immediately clear why Zelenskyy took so long to sign the measure into law.
Conscription has been a sensitive matter in Ukraine for many months amid a growing shortage of infantry on top of a severe ammunition shortfall that has handed Russia the battlefield initiative. Russia’s own problems with manpower and planning have so far prevented it from taking full advantage of its edge. The average age of Ukrainian soldiers, like those on the Russian side, is around 40, military analysts say.
Russia’s population is more than three times as large as Ukraine’s, and President Vladimir Putin has shown a willingness to force men to the front if not enough volunteer. Zelenskyy has rarely mentioned the mobilization issue, and parliament attached more than 1,000 amendments to the mobilization bill he signed. Last December, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s military wanted to mobilize up to 500,000 more troops.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s air force said it shot down four drones that Russia launched overnight over central provinces. An 11-year-old boy died in a hospital from injuries sustained during Russia’s attack in the Kupiansk area on Tuesday, according to Kharkiv regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov. His 58-year-old father was killed in the attack. Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, 'sees daily humiliation and pain' from unrelenting Russian aerial attacks.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Russia-Ukraine war: How Ukraine lost Avdiivka to RussiaThe loss of the city of Avdiivka last month marked the end of a long, exhausting defense for the Ukrainian military. One brigade had defended the same block of buildings for months without a break. Another unit had been in the city for nearly two years. Ammunition was low, and the Russians conducted dozens of airstrikes every day.
Read more »
Russia election: Using coercion, Russia imposed its citizenship in Ukraine’s occupied territoriesRussia has successfully imposed its passports on nearly the entire population of occupied Ukraine by making it impossible to survive without them, coercing hundreds of thousands of people into citizenship.
Read more »
Ukraine war updates: Russia heads to the polls; pro-Ukraine groups continue border assaultRussians head to the polls on Friday in a presidential election that is all but certain to grant President Vladimir Putin a fifth term in power.
Read more »
Russia-Ukraine war: Ukraine lowers conscription age to plug shortfall in troopsUkraine has lowered the military conscription age from 27 to 25 in an effort to replenish its depleted ranks after more than two years of war following Russia’s full-scale invasion. The new mobilization law came into force Wednesday, a day after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed it. Ukraine’s parliament passed it last year.
Read more »
Live blog: Russia claims downing 18 airborne targets in BelgorodRussia-Ukraine war, the largest armed conflict in Europe since WW2, enters its 764th day.
Read more »
Live blog: Ukraine says its weekend attack damaged four Russian shipsRussia-Ukraine war, the largest armed conflict in Europe since WW2, enters its 763rd day.
Read more »