(RepublicanView.org) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved a measure lowering his country’s conscription age to help boost its strained military.
The new age for men eligible to be drafted was lowered to 25 from age 27 on April 3. He signed two other laws to help bolster his military’s ranks, one of which waives several exemptions to being drafted. It will also lead to the development of a digital registry for new recruits. Oksana Zabolotna, one of several analysts working for the Center for United Actions, said it should boost their numbers by an additional 50,000 troops, according to AP. The group acts as a Ukrainian government accountability watchdog.
Zelenskyy previously said in December 2023 that his country needed an additional 500,000 troops, which he and other officials acknowledged was likely a sensitive matter. It would cost the country $13 billion (USD). Russia recently increased its troops by 170,000 to 1.32 million. Ukraine currently has 1 million armed forces personnel.
However, Ukraine has since signed an agreement with Alexander Stubb, the president of Finland, that merited a new audit. The results of that audit, according to Ukraine recently appointed commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, determined that the 500,000 figure was incorrect. He also believes rotating troops between the front and back lines will help improve their offensive. They haven’t announced an official decision.
Zelenskyy is also claiming that Russia plans to add another 300,000 armed forces enlistees by June 1. He and his government say that Russia’s efforts to boost its military give Ukraine no other choice than to do the same despite some controversy among the Ukrainian people. Personnel and munition shortages have prevented the country from gaining an advantage over Russia.
One point of concern among Ukrainians is the economic impact of removing young, able-bodied men from the nation’s workforce. That concern is what prevented the nation from setting its draft age to 18. The average age of its soldiers is currently 40. However, Kyiv said it expects new waves of Russian aggression during the spring or summer months.
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