By HANNA ARHIROVA and SAMYA KULLAB (Associated Press)
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — On Wednesday, Ukraine decreased the age at which men can be drafted into the military from 27 to 25, reflecting the pressure that the ongoing two-year war with Russia has placed on its armed forces and the necessity to fill its depleted ranks with new conscripts.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed three bills into law to bolster the country's beleaguered forces, which are struggling to maintain the front lines in the conflict that has weakened Ukraine's military and depleted its supplies of weapons and ammunition.
The new laws, which will also eliminate some draft exemptions and establish an online registry for recruits, could result in approximately 50,000 new troops joining the military, stated Oksana Zabolotna, an analyst with the Center for United Actions, a government watchdog in Kyiv.
This would make up a tenth of the 500,000 additional troops that Zelenskyy mentioned in December as the military's target for mobilization. However, after signing a security agreement with Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Kyiv on Wednesday, Zelenskyy disclosed that an audit commissioned by Ukraine’s newly appointed commander-in-chief revealed that the 500,000 figure was incorrect, partly because existing troops could be repositioned from the rear to the front. He did not explain why this option had not been previously considered.
Zelenskyy stated that he was not prepared to publicly announce how many new conscripts the Ukrainian army will require.
“I can say that Russia is preparing to mobilize an additional 300,000 military personnel on June 1,” Zelenskyy informed reporters.
According to Ukrainian Defense Ministry data, the country's military had nearly 800,000 troops in October. This figure does not include the National Guard or other units. In total, 1 million Ukrainians are in uniform, including around 300,000 serving on the front lines.
Conscription has been a delicate issue due to Ukraine's increasing shortages of infantry and ammunition, which have given Russia the upper hand on the battlefield. Military analysts state that the average age of soldiers on both sides is over 40. Some Ukrainians are concerned that lowering the minimum conscription age to 25 and recruiting more young adults from the workforce could have negative consequences by further damaging the war-torn economy, which is why the draft age was not simply set at 18. However, the urgency has grown as Kyiv anticipates a renewed offensive by Russian forces in the upcoming spring or summer.
The Russian military announced on Wednesday that there has been a recent increase in enlistments, attributing it to public anger over last month's attack on a Moscow concert hall that resulted in the deaths of more than 140 people. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that about 16,000 people have enlisted in the last 10 days, although this assertion could not be independently verified.
An affiliate of the Islamic State group asserted responsibility for the concert hall attack, but the Kremlin has alleged, without presenting evidence, that Ukraine and the West were involved, despite their strong denials.
An affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the concert hall attack, but the Kremlin has insisted, without providing evidence, that Ukraine and the West played a role, despite their strong denials.
Zelenskyy took nearly a year to approve the law that reduced the conscription age, possibly showing how unpopular the move could be.
Antonina Piliuhina, a 49-year-old mother in Kyiv with a 21-year-old son, expressed her opposition to lowering the draft age.
“I only have one son, and I'm a single mother,” Piliuhina stated. “Why did I raise him all these years, just to have him taken away and possibly killed? I don't want this.”
Mykola Petrovskyi, a 28-year-old social worker, mentioned that even though he loves Ukraine, he doesn't think it's right to send unwilling people to fight.
“I'm not prepared to go somewhere tomorrow and kill people,” Petrovskyi expressed. “It's not because I'm not a patriot of my country, it's because I'm not willing to kill. I'm not meant for this. I'm willing to help save someone's life, but not take one.”
But Metelya, a 37-year-old soldier who used his alias due to security concerns, expressed strong support for lowering the draft age. He has been fighting since 2014 and believes new troops are necessary.
“If an 18-year-old boy was ready to fight with us when we fought for Kyiv, then why can’t a 25-year-old man do the same?” he asked.
Zabolotna, the government watchdog analyst, mentioned that even though there are about half a million men aged 25 to 27, she estimates only about 50,000 would be added to the ranks.
“Some of them are unfit for service, some have left, some are in the reserve or have the right to deferment,” she stated.
The law’s introduction shows that Ukraine is acknowledging the reality that it's in a war of attrition and competition for resources, said Orysia Lutsevych, head of the Ukraine forum and deputy director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Chatham House think tank in London.
Zelenskyy was hoping for a relatively quick end to the war, she mentioned. But he realizes that Putin “is not just fighting Ukraine. His main enemy is the United States and its presence in Eastern Europe.”
The initial eagerness to fight against the Kremlin’s forces has diminished, although public support for the war remains high.
Ukraine currently prevents men under 60 from traveling abroad. Many Ukrainian men are dodging the draft by hiding at home or attempting to bribe their way out of the battle. Commanders say they don’t have enough soldiers to launch offensives, and barely enough to hold positions during intensifying Russian assaults.
Russia’s population is over three times larger than Ukraine’s, and President Vladimir Putin has shown a readiness to compel men to the front if there aren't enough volunteers.
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Follow AP’s reporting on the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
