Ukraine lowers conscription age amid shortage of troops in war against Russia
- 3 April, 10:35
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has signed a law to lower the age of wartime conscription from 27 to 25 as Kyiv faces shortage of troops after more than two years of war following Russian invasion.
The law was approved by the Ukrainian parliament in May 2023 but Zelenskiy signed it into law only after months of debates over the matter. It’s not known why it took Zelenskiy so long to sign it into law.
Mobilization has been a contentious topic in a country worn out by over two years of conflict with Russia, resulting in significant military casualties. However, Ukraine is facing a shortage of troops to confront the ongoing Russian invasion now stretching into its third year.
Russia, with a significantly larger military force, has achieved some victories on the Ukrainian battlefield this year. Ukraine's military has been urging the government for months to conscript more soldiers. Zelenskiy had stated last winter that he would agree to sign the bill only upon receiving a compelling rationale. In December, he mentioned that the military had suggested mobilizing an additional 500,000 Ukrainians into the armed forces, a request that had been made by the previous commander-in-chief.
Zelenskiy briefly mentioned the conscription law during a news conference in Kyiv on Wednesday alongside Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
