NOS News•today, 5:54 PM
In Ukraine, 25 and 26 year olds can now also be called up for military service. Previously, military service was compulsory from the age of 27. The new mobilization law was signed yesterday by President Zelensky and entered into force today.
Recruiting new soldiers is a tense topic in Ukraine. The country has an acute shortage of men and ammunition in the war against the Russian invasion force, which is slowly making territorial gains. There was disagreement between the army leadership and Zelensky about how many additional soldiers are needed.
It has not been announced how many additional troops the new measure is expected to generate. The president said last year that the military had requested an expansion of half a million, but this was later denied by army chief Zaluzhny, who was fired in February.
No number mentioned
New army chief Syrsky called the number of 500,000 too high, Zelensky said. By distributing available soldiers more intelligently, fewer would be needed. But the president did not want to give a specific number, writes the AP news agency.
The now introduced mobilization law was approved by the Ukrainian parliament in May last year. It is unclear why the president waited almost a year to make his final judgment. This probably has to do with the unpopularity of the measure. Parliament is still considering another bill for even more far-reaching mobilization rules.
Corruption and forced mobilization
The army in Ukraine is having great difficulty recruiting enough soldiers. Videos have emerged of young men being forcibly picked from the streets to serve, The Guardian newspaper wrote last year. Due to bribery scandals, Zelensky fired all of the country’s regional recruitment chiefs in August last year.
The Ukrainians who feel called to fight are often already serving in the army. Many of them are exhausted after more than two years of war. There appears to be little enthusiasm among the remaining group of potential soldiers. It is estimated that many thousands of conscripted men have fled abroad, despite the government banning this.
Russia: 150,000 men drafted
Russia also needs new soldiers at the front. Last Sunday it became clear that another 150,000 conscripts had been called up. There are stricter rules, which means that Russians between the ages of 27 and 30 now also have to register.
Russian authorities claim that many people have recently signed up for the army. This would involve 16,000 people in ten days. The major attack on a theater in a Moscow suburb is cited as the immediate cause. It is unclear to what extent this claim is propaganda; the information cannot be independently verified.
