Military service: Ukraine lowers age for conscription of reservists

After much hesitation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has agreed that reservists can be drafted from the age of 25. So far it has been 27 years. This makes it possible for two more cohorts to be called up for the ongoing war with Russia. The corresponding entry was published on the parliamentary website on Tuesday. Zelenskyj took nine months to think about it before making the decision.

After the amendment has yet to be published in the official gazette, the government has six months to implement it. Based on the birth rates at the end of the 1990s, theoretically a good 400,000 more men could be drafted for military service. At the same time, the decision on stricter mobilization rules is still expected next week.

Several months to think about it

Parliament had already passed the law on reservist age in May last year. After the signature of Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, it was presented to Zelenskyy for his signature in June. However, Zelenskyj claimed in December that he still needed strong arguments to sign. These concerns now appear to have been dispelled.

Ukraine has been fending off a large-scale Russian invasion for over two years. With the declaration of martial law, men of military age between 18 and 60 are prohibited from leaving the country, with a few exceptions. However, so far only men of reservist age aged 27 or over have been drafted. Given the difficult situation at the front, Zelenskyj had stated the additional need for soldiers at up to 500,000 before the turn of the year. Army chief Olexander Syrskyj recently stated that the number was lower.

Zelensky also signed a law adjusting eligibility criteria for military service. In the future there will only be “suitable” and “unsuitable”. Men who were previously classified as “conditionally fit” must appear again at the muster commission. With a third law, the head of state also paved the way for an electronic military register.